Credit: EPIJustin Bieber was no doubt unhappy after he was booed at the Billboard Music Awards.  But now, a picture of him looking unhappy has appeared ON a billboard.

A research agency called the Employment Policies Institute purchased a photo of the Bieb scowling, and used it to illustrate a billboard in Central Los Angeles.  "Why is Justin Bieber so sad?" asks the billboard.  "Could it be because 24% of teens who want a job can’t find one?”

The billboard goes on to say, "Teen unemployment makes us all sad. Unfortunately, raising the minimum wage will only make things worse.”   

A spokesperson for the Employment Policies Institute tells ABC News Radio that the fact that Justin is on the billboard "does not imply his endorsement of any particular minimum wage policy or an endorsement of" the agency.

The EPI is a non-profit research agency that studies public policy and employment growth.  The point of the billboard is to suggest that if businesses have to pay a higher minimum wage, then they can't afford to hire as many employees, and therefore, the unemployment rate among young people goes up.

A statement on the agency's website says, "Nineteen-year old Bieber might have a lucrative career, but 24 percent of his 16-19 year-old peers are unable to even land a job.  Bieber’s biggest fans are suffering through a teen employment crisis, with an unemployment rate that has been over 20 percent for more than four years."

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

ABC/Rick PowellKaty Perry has found herself in the unusual position of apologizing for something she said on Twitter about another artist's song...after he threatened her.

Bird Street BooksNick Carter is especially busy with side projects outside of his work with the Backstreet Boys. Earlier this week, it was reported that he and his fiancee, Lauren Kitt, are shopping a reality show about his personal life and their upcoming wedding.

It seems Carter intends to reveal even more about himself in a memoir. Facing the Music and Living to Talk About It will focus on his music career and his struggles with drugs and alcohol.

Facing the Music and Living to Talk About It will be published by Bird Street Books and will be released sometime in September.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

Facebook.com/EpicTheMovieBeyonce's made several movies in her career, but starting Friday, you'll be able to see her on the big screen as you've never seen her before: as a cartoon character.

Beyonce provides the voice of the character Queen Tara in the new 3D animated film Epic. The fantasy adventure is about a girl who shrinks to a tiny size and discovers a magical forest world of strange creatures, all engaged in a battle of good versus evil.  As Queen, Beyonce's Tara is the protector of the forest, and she must choose an heir to carry on her mission.

While Queen Tara doesn't look exactly like Beyonce, she does share some of her mannerisms, and the singer says that's no accident.

"The animators based much of their work on footage of us recording our lines. So my facial expressions and body language have become a part of Tara," she explains. "It's been strange and exciting to see the process, to see Tara come to life. The first time I heard my voice and saw Tara, it was surreal."

She adds, "It's been something I've always wanted to be a part of so I'm really excited, and the detail in the animation is incredible."

One thing that the singer found challenging, though, was recording the lines for her character alone in a booth, rather than acting on set with the rest of the cast.  "Voicing an animated character is very different from working with a live actor because you don't have anyone to play off of," she points out.  "But it's really liberating, I was able to adjust and use my imagination.  I felt like a kid."

Beyonce's not the only chart-topping singer who contributes a voice to Epic -- Steven Tyler voices a character, as does Pitbull.  The rest of the cast is rounded out by Amanda Seyfried, Jason Sudeikis, Josh Hutcherson and Colin Farrell.

"This is the one time where the film lives up to its title," Bey says of Epic.  "It's about a massive battle between good and evil, set against a huge landscape that you've never seen before on film.  Everything in this movie is big: the action, the stakes, the characters... but at the same time they're all very relatable."

Let's hope Blue Ivy loves the movie as much as her mommy does.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

Mychal Watts/WireImageFresh from being named to Forbes' annual list of the World's Most Powerful Women, Beyonce and Shakira are now being recognized for their love matches.  Both women and their significant others have been named to the publication's list of the "World's Most Powerful Couples."

The magazine looked at twosomes across politics, media, technology and music to find high-profile pairs who are doing big things individually and even bigger things together.  As two of the biggest names in music, Beyonce and hubby Jay-Z certainly qualify, while Shakira and her baby daddy, soccer player Gerard Pique, straddle the worlds of music and sports.

Talking about Bey and Jay's influence, Forbes notes that they're "tight with the first couple of the United States" -- who naturally are #1 on the list.  Forbes also points out the couple's headline-making trip to Cuba, and their ability to pull in the big bucks on the road, not to mention all their other business dealings.

As for Shakira and Pique, he gets points for being one of Spain's most popular athletes, who plays for FC Barcelona, one of the most valuable teams in soccer.  She scores for her warmly-received appearance on The Voice, of course, and her status as a global music superstar.

In addition to Barack and Michelle Obama, the list also includes the likes of Bill and Hillary Clinton, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen and Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

Facebook.com/TaylorSwiftTaylor Swift's already proven that she can poke fun at herself: she told Billboard that she thought the "goat" version of her hit "I Knew You Were Trouble" was "brilliant."  Now, she's giving Katy Perry props for making fun of the song as well.

Katy randomly tweeted on Wednesday, "I knew you were truffle when you walked in," and added the hashtag "#dinnertime."  Taylor wasted no time in retweeting her comment, and then wrote to Katy, "Please never change."

It's odd, however, that Katy would tweet about consuming something as delicious and indulgent as truffles, considering that right before that, she tweeted a photo of herself holding up three enormous bags of pills, capsules and tablets, along with the caption,  "I'm all about that supplement & vitamin LYFE!"

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

PRNewsFoto/Coty Inc.Katy Perry has forked over a good amount of cash to acquire two homes.

The Huffington Post reports Katy has purchased two properties encompassing three adjoining lots and approximately four acres of land in Hollywood Hills. The total cost: 11.2 million dollars.

Katy's newly-acquired properties include two homes, one of which was previously owned by Bruce Springsteen's drummer Max Weinberg -- who was Conan O'Brien's bandleader during O'Brien's Late Night and Tonight Show stints -- and Jake and Maggie Gyllenhaal's now-divorced parents.

Katy bought the properties in April in a blind trust. Her manager, Bernie Gudvi, is the trustee.

It was reported in April that Katy is selling the Hollywood Hills mansion she and her now-ex-husband, Russell Brand, purchased in 2011.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

ChimeforChange.orgHighlights from next month's Sound of Change Live concert in London, promoting improved education, health and justice for women and girls around the world, will be televised by NBC as a two-hour special.

The special, titled The Women’s Concert for Change: Live from London, will air from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern time on Sunday, June 2, one day after the concert will be held at Twickenham Stadium.

The lineup includes Beyonce, Jay-Z, Jennifer Lopez, Ellie Goulding and Florence the Machine. Madonna, James Franco and Salma Hayek Pinault will be among the presenters at the event, which will be presented by Gucci’s Chime for Change.

In addition, Ben Affleck, Halle Berry, Gwyneth Paltrow, Julia Roberts and other celebrities will make appearances in PSAs that will air during the NBC special.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

Facebook.com/KeshaMr. Worldwide and K-Dolla are bringing the party to you this summer.  Pitbull and Ke$ha's joint tour kicks off Thursday night in Mansfield, Massachusetts, and it seems like quite a production: Ke$ha promises "glitter, beards, balls and laser beams," while Pitbull says he'll contribute some "crazy freaky fun."

So how did this odd couple end up as a double bill?  Pitbull tells ABC News Radio that fans have wanted them to collaborate for a long time.  "People have been asking us, when are we going to do something together? So, crazy thing is that we are actually doing a tour together before we do a record together," Pitbull laughs. 

As for why he thinks she's a great tour partner, Pit explains, "She has a great vibe, great music, and I think it's a great segue where we can both finish it off together with a lot of energy."  He suggests that fans who attend will really be able to, as his latest hit says, "feel the moment."

At this point, fans know what to expect from Pitbull's live performances: in the past two weeks, they've seen him perform on the American Idol finale, the Dancing with the Stars finale and the Billboard Music Awards. Asked if he feels he'll need to step up his production to compete with Ke$ha's clouds of glitter and lasers, Pit says he's not into that kind of one-upmanship. 

"I'm not here to compete. I'm not here to complicate. I'm here to compliment," he explains.  "Whatever she does on stage, I watch, I learn, I study. But that's not going to change what we bring to the stage. And what we bring is global music, a lot of fun, a lot of energy, and I just bring that old-school Miami bass -- crazy, freaky, fun!"

But will Ke$ha's fanatical fans, who she calls "animals," mix well with Pitbull's crowd?  He says there's no reason why they wouldn't, since they're all going to be at the concert for the same thing: good music.

"Music, at the end of the day connects everybody," he tells ABC News Radio. "So it's all about them having a good time and escaping, and Ke$ha's got great music, I think we have great music also. So...I may pick up some fans from Ke$ha, she may pick up some fans from us, and that's what it's all about."

So is an onstage collaboration in the cards for the tour, which runs through the end of June?  The rapper won't say.

"It's up in the air, you know? God knows what we're going to end up doing," he says. "She seems like a lot of fun, I've met her a couple of times, she has a great attitude, and also I'm hearing a great work ethic. So, looking forward to it, but there are definitely going to be some surprises!"

If you can't get enough Pitbull, he provides one of the voices in Epic, the animated family film that's opening this weekend.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio