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News 9

By Jill

From around the world, we merge entertainment stories by publishers like Rolling Stone, Mail Online, The Blast, InStyle, Forbes, ELLE, Vogue, Inside Edition, Billboard, (and more) into short burst podcasts to keep you up-to-date.
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Olivia Rodrigo’s Bright-Blue Bikini

News 9Apr 05, 2021

00:00
05:42
YouTube announces new series with Will Smith and Alicia Keys

YouTube announces new series with Will Smith and Alicia Keys

The platform announced the partnerships Tuesday in an online presentation to advertisers, revealing a slate of upcoming YouTube Originals series. Comedian Hasan Minhaj hosted and celebrities including CBS' "Late Late Show" host James Corden appeared. Miley Cyrus closed the presentation with a performance.

"This is the body that carried me through an entire pandemic and countless days grazing thru the pantry," he wrote in the caption. "I love this body, but I wanna FEEL better. No more midnight muffins…this is it!

"Songs in A Minor" featured Keys' debut single which sky-rocketed her success, "Fallin'." The song won the pianist three Grammys (song of the year, best female R&B vocal performance and best R&B song). "Songs in A Minor" took the category for best R&B album.

“YouTube has been a big part of my expression for kind of my entire career," she said. "You can really watch the evolution of who I am. It really kind of inspired me and it stated a fire that just became wild.

"I’ve just always really loved the idea of being able to create my own worlds that I feel visually represents sonically what I’m putting out there," she continued. "I could say what I wanted to say in the way that I wanted to say it. I definitely don’t take it for granted.”

From Publisher: USA TODAY

Will Smith takes off his clothes to reveal ‘dad bod’ on Instagram

The star posted the caption alongside an image of himself wearing nothing but his underwear and an unzipped top. Smith left little to the imagination – showing off his ‘dad bod’ in all its glory.

Another wrote “Why you starting to look like Uncle Phil tho?”, in reference to Will’s late on-screen uncle in Fresh Prince of Bel Air.

One man even offered to train Smith, “Will, I’m coming to train you. For free, can’t have a legend looking like this.”

Lots of fans praised Smith for his realness, “That’s the funniest, realest (sic) thing I’ve ever seen. Way to change the façade of Instagram”.

Others speculated that the reason behind the award-winning actor’s new figure may be for a film.

Smith is thought to be gearing up to begin filming Emancipation . The story sees Smith portraying Whipped Peter, an enslaved person who emancipated himself from a Southern plantation and joined the Union Army.

From Publisher: NewsComAu

May 04, 202102:32
Little Mix’s success is down to equality

Little Mix’s success is down to equality

Little Mix says their success is down to their ‘equal’ status with one another, as they have always had the same ‘vision’ that they must all be considered at the same level.

The girl group – which currently comprises of Jade Thirlwall, Perrie Edwards and Leigh-Anne Pinnock, with Jesy Nelson previously featuring as part of the band before her exit last year – insists their longstanding career is because they have always had the same “vision” that they must all be considered at the same level.

Jade said: “We have always had the same vision, we always wanted to be equal. Nobody wanted to outshine someone else. The moment that happens in a group dynamic, the cracks start to show, like someone has a bit more of an ego. We have always been determined to remain equal people on our team, whoever else has suggested otherwise. We have said no, we know it works better, it is healthier for us doing it that way. And it has got us where we are now.”

And the ‘Confetti’ hitmakers opened up about their experiences with the music industry, claiming they had been pushed to release certain songs or go a certain direction, which had been “a bit unsettling”.

She added: “A few times we have felt pushed into a direction or a song. Almost like a bribe, like ‘if you don’t do this song you can’t have that’. There was a point where there was a bit of that and that was a bit unsettling for us.”

The band has been subjected to cruel taunts by online trolls over the years but they don’t let it bother them now.

Speaking on the Zach Sang radio show in the United States about how they react to negative comments online, Leigh-Anne explained: “It’s a sod the trolls [mentality now]. Negative comments don’t phase us.”

From Publisher: El Paso Inc.

Little Mix Drops ‘Confetti’ Remix – Their First Song as a Trio | PEOPLE.com

“We’re serving you looks, choreo and introducing you to three very special lads. We are so proud of this one hope you all love it!” Little Mix wrote about the song on Instagram

Little Mix is back — and here to stay! — as they release their first track since Jesy Nelson’s departure in December. The group, now comprising Perrie Edwards, Leigh-Anne Pinnock and Jade Thirlwall, reimagines “Confetti” as a trio, as they welcome Saweetie for a fiery verse.

May 04, 202105:19
Cardi B says Big Paper almost didn’t make it on Khaled Khaled

Cardi B says Big Paper almost didn’t make it on Khaled Khaled

Cardi B’s song was a last-minute addition to DJ Khaled’s new album Khaled Khaled — and fans are loving it. The Bronx-bred rap queen was trending on Twitter Friday morning (April 30) as fans listened to her cut, “Big Paper.”

Khaled announced Cardi’s addition to the record with an updated tracklist Thursday night (April 29). “CARDI B VOCALS IS IN!! ALBUM 101% DONE!!!” he wrote on Instagram.

“You know I like to sound really good because one thing I’ve been really insecure about is my accent. I have a really big accent and my pronunciation and everything… So I was making sure that everything was mixed right,” she continued. “Literally, I think Khaled got the song today [April 29] at like 7 a.m. my time, so he probably got it at like 10 a.m. He got it today. And he got it mastered and everything.”

On Twitter, some listeners were skeptical that Cardi really wrote and recorded the verse in 48 hours. However, she defended the claim with receipts.

“The day Khaled did his video we sent him the hook and one verse so he [could] know I was working on it and not frontin. This is my [message] from last night my engineer sending me different mixes in the middle of the night since we had to turn it in at 7 a.m. Thursday morning,” she tweeted along with the text.

Cardi also told fans that Tyga was recording a song in another room at the studio while she was there.

“Tyga was in the other room and he came to show me some dope songs and I told him I was tired trying to finish a song for Khaled and he said wow don’t it come out on Thursday?” she wrote .

As further proof, Cardi also shared a video she took critiquing the track’s initial mix on Wednesday (April 28).

“I was letting my fans know why I got on the album soo late & unexpected wit no video & almost didn’t make it cause the beat was [sent] Tuesday night,” she added , replying to a Twitter user. “I can’t even tell my personal story without ya makin everything so catty.”

May 02, 202105:41
Hayley Kiyoko on Nurturing a Strong Friendship with Herself

Hayley Kiyoko on Nurturing a Strong Friendship with Herself

“I was able to dance and feel liberated and free and totally be my queer self,” Kiyoko says about recording the music video at a historic location for gay liberation

“I wrote this song during a challenging time when I realized, instead of being my own worst enemy, I could actually be my own best friend,” she tells PEOPLE. “So, it was about discovering and nurturing this strong friendship with myself and embracing that, which was a very emotional discovery for myself and can tend to be challenging to realize that we can comfort ourselves.”

Accompanying the track is its equally inspiring music video, which showcases Kiyoko finding herself through dance inside the historic Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles. For Kiyoko, filming the video was both emotional and “extremely challenging.”

“We filmed on 16 millimeter, which was super exciting, but also another challenge since the lighting has to be perfect, the timing has to be perfect, the shot has to be perfect,” she says. “But it was super exciting to take on that challenge.”

“What was so emotional about shooting the music video is I hadn’t shot a music video in forever and I hadn’t performed; I hadn’t danced. As I was shooting the music video and directing it and putting it all together, I felt like I was discovering and experiencing what I was experiencing when I wrote the song,” she adds. “No matter what happened, if things go wrong or whatever we have to navigate, I will always have myself and I’ll be able to comfort myself no matter what happens.”

And filming the video was emotional for more than one reason. After recording the video, Kiyoko discovered that the hotel had been instrumental during the gay civil rights movement in the early 1970s, when activists interrupted a psychologist conference set to endorse electric shock therapy as a means to cure homosexuality.

“It’s kind of crazy because I realized that after we shot. It’s just so cool that I was able to be at that hotel and dance and feel liberated and free and totally be my queer self, knowing the history of that location,” says Kiyoko.

Kiyoko looks forward to a year filled with surprises as she starts a new “cinematic and experimental” era that offers both “comfort and escape.”

From Publisher: PEOPLE.com

‘Wizards of Waverly Place’: Hayley Kiyoko Calls Character Stevie Gay

Selena Gomez and Hayley Kiyoko have both come a long way since their days on Disney Channel’s Wizards of Waverly Place . The two actors both went on to pursue careers in acting and singing after the Disney show . Kiyoko recently reacted to clips of her character Stevie Nichols on Wizards of Waverly Place and her response is priceless . She joked in a TikTok that Stevie was gay.

Kiyoko appeared in four episodes of Wizards of Waverly Place in 2010, portraying trouble-maker wizard Stevie. She met Gomez’s character Alex Russo while in detention. Early on, Alex was unaware that Stevie was also a wizard. The pair shared a connection over causing mayhem and their dark sense of humor.

A year after Kiyoko’s Wizards of Waverly Place role, she acted in the Disney Channel Original Movie, Lemonade Mouth . The actor also appeared in one episode of The Vampire Diaries in 2013. She had a recurring role as Gabi on The Fosters the following year.

May 01, 202103:51
Coldplay Return With New Single, Higher Power, Next Week

Coldplay Return With New Single, Higher Power, Next Week

Coldplay will return with their first new music since 2019 next Friday with “Higher Power,” a new single produced by Max Martin — the most successful songwriter-producer of the last 25 years.

It would not be unreasonable to expect that an album will be following sometime in the coming months as well.

The group posted on social media: “Higher Power is a song that arrived on a little keyboard and a bathroom sink at the start of 2020. It was produced by Max Martin who is a true wonder of the universe. It’s out on Friday 7 May. Love c, g, w & j.”

The announcement confirms fan rumors that have circulated since last week, when cryptic billboards around the world pointed to a mysterious website called alienradio.fm.Fans managed to decipher the letter-like symbols to uncover the song title and release date.

It was also a cost-effective one. Consider that the band was able to sidestep an expensive photo shoot by superimposing themselves onto an image owned by one of its members; that its letter-writing campaign only required the price of postage; or that its classified spent was a mere $25,000,  Variety  has learned. Even its music video consists of grainy footage shot by hand of frontman Chris Martin performing new song “Orphans” in various New York City locales and in full view of unsuspecting pedestrians. In addition, a sniping campaign targeted 30 cities in 21 countries and five continents.

Apr 29, 202103:02
Blackpink’s “As If It’s Your Last” Video Hits 1B

Blackpink’s “As If It’s Your Last” Video Hits 1B

Popular South Korean music act BLACKPINK has become the first K-pop group to have four songs with more than 1 billion views. The feat was achieved when the track “As If It’s Your Last” got past the coveted mark.

The group is known not just for the music but also slickly produced and choreographed music videos that have made them one of the most popular music groups in the world. Fans appreciate both the aural and visual aspect of BLACKPINK’s songs.

All this is remarkable considering BLACKPINK is a relatively new music act and have only a few releases to their name.

Earlier, BLACKPINK’s record for the most viewed video on YouTube in a single day with “How You Like That” was broken by BTS’ “Dynamite”, which clocked 86.4 million views in the first 24 hours of its premiere. “How You Like That” had garnered 86.3 million views in a day.

From Publisher: The Indian Express

Blackpink’s Rose Solo Interview: Making ‘On The Ground’ | Billboard

“We wanted to find something that spoke to me, so it felt right to be talking about what I’ve been thinking about these past couple of years,” Rosé says over Zoom, joined by her dog, Hank (who spends most of the interview snoozing next to her). “It sounded like if you would have dinner with me, have a conversation with me. It’s something I would passionately talk about and question.”

From the pressure of fan expectations to the occasionally frustrating process of finding her sound, Rosé says stepping out on her own wasn’t easy. But she wasn’t totally alone — she credits her bandmates with encouraging her to pull the trigger on her solo music and holding her hand along the way. And any worries she had about how the music might be received were quickly assuaged: “On the Ground” topped both Billboard ’s Global 200 and Global 200 Excl. U.S. charts — making her the first K-pop soloist to do so. (It also reached No. 70 on the Hot 100.)

From Publisher: Billboard

BTS, Blackpink And ‘IZ’: Excitement On The World Albums Chart

Blackpink’s recent No. 1 smash “How You Like That” is still going strong as it nears a year on the World Digital Song Sales chart, and this week is the best in some time for the electro tune. This frame, the cut returns to the top 10, vaulting from No. 12 to No. 3, an impressive jump for a cut that’s already spent so much time on the tally.

South Korean girl group Weeekly (yes, there are three e’s in the name) are still fairly new, as they only debuted less than a year ago, but the band is already making waves in the U.S. This frame, the septet starts their new single “After School” at No. 21 on the tally, scoring an important win that shows they may have a bright future in America.

As is typically the case, BTS occupy more spots on the World Digital Song Sales chart than any other act, and they’re even able to bring one of their biggest hits back to the list. “Boy With Luv,” which stands out as one of the septet’s most successful tunes, reappears at No. 23 this time around. The cut, which once topped the list, has now spent 76 nonconsecutive frames somewhere on the ranking.

Apr 28, 202106:16
Lana Del Rey Dropping New Album ‘Blue Banisters’

Lana Del Rey Dropping New Album ‘Blue Banisters’

Lana Del Rey has announced the follow-up album to Chemtrails Over the Country Club. Her upcoming album, Blue Banisters, is slated to arrive on July 4th, according to her posts on social media.

In March, a day after her Chemtrails Over the Country Club release date, she had teased an album called Rock Candy Sweet, which was touted to arrive on June 1st. It’s unclear if that album has been postponed or if it has been replaced with a new Blue Banisters title. The artwork the singer shared, which features her photo, appears to be the same image for both Rock Candy Sweet and Blue Banisters.

Her Rock Candy Sweet announcement came on the heels of Harper’s Bazaar article “Lana Del Rey Can’t Qualify Her Way Out of Being Held Accountable,” which was critical of the singer’s cultural appropriation.

“Just want to say thank you again for the kind articles like this one and for reminding me that my career was built on cultural appropriation and glamorizing domestic abuse,” Del Rey said at the time via Instagram Stories. “I will continue to challenge those thoughts on my next record on June 1 titled Rock Candy Sweet.”

Should the Blue Banisters LP drop on Independence Day, it would be her third album release in a year following the March release of Chemtrails Over the Country Club, and her spoken word LP, Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass, which arrived last July.

From publisher: Rolling Stone

Lana Del Rey Fans Want to Ban Her From PicsArt After Album Art Reveal

“Picsart has the alt girls on a chokehold,” one person wrote, comparing Eilish’s “Happier Than Ever” cover to Del Rey’s “Let Me Love You Like a Woman.”

Del Rey’s “Blue Banisters” will arrive just four months after her seventh album, “Chemtrails Over the Country Club” — whose cover was criticized for entirely different reasons.

“No this was not intended-these are my best friends, since you are asking today,” she wrote — although it was written as a standalone comment, not a reply to anyone in particular.

“As it happens when it comes to my amazing friends and this cover, yes, there are people of color on this record’s picture and that’s all I’ll say about that,” she wrote, adding: “My best friends are rappers, my boyfriends have been rappers.”

Apr 28, 202102:09
Billie Eilish New Album, Happier Than Ever, out July 30

Billie Eilish New Album, Happier Than Ever, out July 30

After dropping a brief video on Monday sporting her new blonde look, Billie Eilish has announced that she will release her second full-length album, titled “Happier Than Ever,” on July 30, and will drop a new song on Thursday morning.

“MY NEW ALBUM ‘Happier Than Ever’ OUT JULY 30TH!,” she wrote in a social media post. “This is my favorite thing i’ve ever created and i am so excited and nervous and EAGER for you to hear it. i can’t even tell you. i’ve never felt so much love for a project than i do for this one. hope you feel what i feel. alsoooo new song out thursday at 9am too!!”

Judging by titles of the songs from the album (listed below) and it’s clearly ironic title (she appears in tears on the cover), the lyrics continue the dark — at times playfully dark — vibe of her Grammy-sweeping 2019 debut full-length, “When We All Fall Asleep Where Do We Go?” It includes her two most recent singles, “My Future” and “Therefor I Am,” although not her recent collaboration with Rosalia. Like her debut, it was written and produced with her brother and musical collaborator, Finneas.

Eilish told Stephen Colbert in February that she’d recorded a new album in lockdown, the result of her first prolonged period of not touring since her career began in earnest in 2016.

The logistics of recording an album may be easier for Eilish and her brother and musical collaborator Finneas, as they famously recorded most of their previous releases, 2019’s “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?” and the “Don’t Smile at Me” EP, in the Los Angeles home they grew up in.

Eilish kept details about the album light, although Colbert asked her later in the interview if she showed off her vocal chops on the new material. “There’s a couple of moments on this album where I pull some tricks out. It’s really just about what I feel like sounds good.”

She has released four new songs in the nearly two years since “When We All Fall Asleep” dropped: “All I Ever Wanted”; the title theme from the delayed James Bond film “No Time to Die”; “My Future” and a recent duet with Spanish singer Rosalia, “Lo Vas Olvidar.”

The album arrives more than two years after her debut, “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?,” which swept the 2020 Grammy Awards, with her and/or brother/collaborator Finneas winning Album of the Year, Record and Song of the Year, Best New Artist and Best Producer.

Apr 27, 202104:58
H.E.R. aka Gabriella Wilson draws inspiration from Prince’s Oscar look

H.E.R. aka Gabriella Wilson draws inspiration from Prince’s Oscar look

H.E.R., also known as Gabriella Wilson, recently attended the 93rd Academy Awards and graced the red carpet by wearing a shimmering royal purple attire inspired by the late musician’s Oscar look from 1985, when he won the Best Original Song Score for Purple Rain. It was either planned by the artist or it was a complete coincidence that she won the award under the same category in which the late musician Prince won. Gabriella Wilson chose to recreate Prince’s hoodie and cape attire and even added a similar jumpsuit with cutout waist panels. She even paired her dress with her iconic round sunglasses and chose a smokey purple eyeshadow with a mauve lipstick. According to the reports by People, one of the spokespersons from the brand shared that the artist wanted the jumpsuit to feel like armour. The spokesperson added that words had such great power and it’s impossible not to feel touched by the important and impactful message of strength and justice behind the song, especially given what was happening in the world at present.

During the Oscars Pre-show, she even escalated the curiosity of fans about her look and stated that it was inspired by an era and even by one of her favourite artists and further added how it was going to be iconic. She even stated that it was going to be big and also chill. She also added that she likes to be comfortable and that was her inspiration and a subtle flex. She then shared how she liked to be present and not necessarily to wow in the room.

From Publisher: Republic World

Apr 26, 202102:52
ITZY Shows Off Classic Talents In “Ask Us Anything”

ITZY Shows Off Classic Talents In “Ask Us Anything”

ITZY performance started with their hit song “Not Shy,” where the members show off their trademark “girl crush” charisma. But the members soon reveal talents like Ryujin mimicking Lee Soo Geun’s comedic dance, Yuna copying how Lia acts on stage, and Chaeryeong re-enacting her famous “Are you laughing?” line.

Yuna then tries to show off her lacrosse skills but ends up making Ryujin laugh with her false swings. Ryujin demonstrates her power by piggybacking both Yuna and Lia at once, while Yeji shows her experience with jumping rope and “ending poses.” The members then return to their girl group positions as Lia sings a cover of “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You,” Chaeryeong dances to TWICE’s “MORE & MORE,” and Ryujin dances to a powerful cover of her own.

The rest of the show has the ITZY members and “Ask Us Anything” cast playing the Mafia game with some odd twists and turns.

From Publisher: Soompi

Itzy is a South Korean girl group formed by JYP Entertainment, consisting of members Yeji, Lia, Ryujin, Chaeryeong, and Yuna. The group debuted on February 12, 2019, with the release of their single album, It’z Different.

Last year Itzy started a tour in the United States, on January 17 in Los Angeles. And on March 9th 2020, they released their second EP, It’z Me, with its lead single “Wannabe”. Featuring producers such as Sophie and Oliver Heldens, the EP saw the group experiment with EDM sounds, while maintaining their lyrical themes of freedom and self-determination to what comes their way. The EP debuted at number one on South Korea’s Gaon Album Chart, making it the group’s first number one album in the country. It also debuted at number 5 on Billboard’s World Albums chart, their highest position on the chart.

On March 20, Itzy released the digital single “Trust Me (Midzy)”, a song dedicated to their fans, as part of their first global livestream event.

And on April 30th, Itzy will be releasing their fourth EP Guess Who and its lead single “Mafia in the Morning

They are delivering A Full Comeback Schedule For Their Mini-Album Release

ITZY increased the excitement of fans  with their newest EP, GUESS WHO . The group unveiled a new comeback poster revealing ITZY’s schedules leading up to the release, intriguing fans with the various events.

The group will kick off the schedule with an album spoiler video releasing on April 26 at 12:00 AM KST. Subsequently, ITZY will reveal three music video teasers for the album’s title track called, “마.피.아. In the morning”. The teasers will release to fans beginning on April 27 to April 29, each at midnight KST.


Another Mistreatment In JYP Entertainment?

Previously, rumors of  JYP Entertainment  maltreating their artists surfaced after fans noticed that the agency’s former K-pop boy group, GOT7, was not being treated fairly.

Recently, fans were outraged again when ITZY appeared on a variety show with clothing and hairstyles that were sub-par.

JYP Entertainment’s  ITZY is releasing a comeback on the 30th of April . To further hype up the release, ITZY went on to film for the popular South Korean variety show “Knowing Bros.” Such is the case for most K-pop groups when their comebacks are looming.

Apr 26, 202105:36
Sia’s Music Rated at the Razzies

Sia’s Music Rated at the Razzies

Sia’s ‘Music’ – starring Kate Hudson and Maddie Ziegler – was awarded worst actress, worst supporting actress and worst director at the Razzies, which presents the lows for the Hollywood year.

The movie had been blasted by audiences and critics on its release and Sia had issued an apology for casting a neurotypical actress as a person with autism and for scenes depicting the use of restraints on characters with autism.

Sia previously tweeted: “I plan to remove the restraint scenes from all future printings. I listened to the wrong people and that is my responsibility, my research was clearly not thorough enough, not wide enough.”

From Publisher: El Paso Inc.

Sia Kate Isobelle Furler born 18 December 1975, is an Australian singer, songwriter, voice actress and director.

In 2014, Sia broke through as a solo recording artist when her sixth studio album, 1000 Forms of Fear, debuted at No. 1 in the U.S. Billboard 200 and generated the top-ten single “Chandelier” and a trilogy of music videos co-directed by Sia and starring child dancer Maddie Ziegler. Since then, Sia has usually worn a wig that obscures her face to protect her privacy.

Recently, Major Lazer Dropped His Long-Awaited “Titans” Collab With Sia and Labrinth

Since confirming the 2021 release of “Titans” back in October, fans had been eagerly waiting for the mega-collaboration to drop. While Diplo and Sia have worked together and remained close collaborators and friends over the years, the two teamed up with multiplatinum singer-songwriter and producer Labrinth to form the supergroup LSD, dropping powerhouse singles throughout 2018 before their self-titled 2019 debut EP.

After a year full of teasing, “Titans” has arrived on the deluxe edition of the group’s latest album, Music Is The Weapon. Released in 2020, the album features an array of fresh collaborations with Alessia CaraFrench MontanaNicki MinajSkip Marley, and more. Why “Titans” was excluded from the record remains a mystery, but fans can now enjoy the highly anticipated track in its official form.

“Titans,” which is the first track listed in the deluxe edition, features Sia and Labrinth bouncing off each other to provide some catchy vocals over Major Lazer’s bass backbeat. The inspiring lyrics lend to an energized anthem and prove the three are a powerful musical trio.

Along with “Titans,” Music Is The Weapon (Reloaded) features 16 tracks, four of which are new releases from the original album

From publisher: EDM

Apr 25, 202102:36
Justin Timberlake & Justin Bieber on DJ Khaled’s New Album

Justin Timberlake & Justin Bieber on DJ Khaled’s New Album

Justin Timberlake poses with the Contemporary Icon Award backstage during the Songwriters Hall Of Fame 50th Annual Induction And Awards Dinner at The New York Marriott Marquis on June 13, 2019 in New York City.

DJ Khaled has a pretty solid track record with Justin Bieber , including two top five Billboard Hot 100  hits — chart-topper “I’m the One” and the No. 5-peaking “No Brainer” — plus JB’s starring role in the Drake-assisted “Popstar” video . So why not invite the other Justin along for the fun too?

On Friday (April 23), Khaled took to his socials to announce that he’s “99% done” with his upcoming album, titled Khaled Khaled , but he’s working on some “last minute magic” from Justin Timberlake . “THE VOCALS IS IN!” Khaled yells repeatedly at the top of his lungs as he jogs and jumps in the pool in a new  video , celebrating JT’s submission.

Meanwhile, Bieber is also involved in the new Khaled project. It remains to be seen if both Justins appear on one song, but according to an Instagram post, they did team up to FaceTime Khaled — only to get no answer.

Khaled did eventually get Timberlake on FaceTime, where the singer calls the hitmaker “the best A&R in the game.”

Timberlake goes on to compare his new song with Khaled to two Jay-Z classics — including one JT collab. “This is like if ‘Song Cry’ would have never existed, but then ‘Holy Grail’ was ‘Song Cry’ — does that make sense?” Sure! The emotional “Song Cry” is from Jay’s critically acclaimed 2002 album The Blueprint , while Hov teamed up with Timberlake for “Holy Grail” on  Magna Carta Holy Grail in 2013.

From Publisher: Billboard



Why Ken Thinks Yeti is Justin Timberlake on The Masked Singer – E! Online

Justin Timberlake is probably, most definitely not a contestant on The Masked Singer , but when has that stopped Ken Jeong before?

In a new clip from tonight’s double dose of the Fox reality show, Ken presents a theory about the Yeti which, at first, doesn’t sound totally insane. In fact, even Nicole Scherzinger seems on board. The Yeti’s clues spoke of “an ego that got in the way early on in his career,” which leads Ken to think of JT.

“Just recently he kind of owned up to his own past,” Ken says, referring to Justin’s Instagram apology to Britney Spears and Janet Jackson for having “failed” them. “So I feel there’s a self-awareness with the Yeti and with Justin Timberlake.”

There was some logic there, but then Ken takes things too far by declaring Justin his “good family friend,” which Nick Cannon and guest panelist Rita Wilson are quick to call him out on. Rita also points out that Justin and Jessica Biel have a brand new baby, and it just definitely doesn’t feel like he’s standing on stage in front of them doing The Masked Singer .

When we met the Yeti in the last episode, we learned that he was from a place where too many men become “monsters,” but he was surrounded by a group of warrior women who made him a gentleman and gave him confidence. He then performed “If It Isn’t Love,” and it just definitely was not Justin Timberlake’s voice, but this would not be the first time Ken was extremely wrong about a guess.

From Publisher: E! Online

Apr 24, 202106:05
Ariana Grande and the Weeknd ‘Save Your Tears’ Remix

Ariana Grande and the Weeknd ‘Save Your Tears’ Remix

Rumours of a remix to the Canadian singer’s hit single had been floating around for a while, and last week (April 19) he shared what appears to be a snippet of the song with new vocals from Grande.

A new post from The Weeknd has now confirmed the new remix, which has arrived with an accompanying animated video. The clip continues the gory, surreal narrative of The Weeknd’s music videos for his latest album ‘After Hours’ , taking the story into sci-fi territory.

Grande adds a husky verse of her own to ‘Save Your Tears’ on the remix, and appears in the video as a cyborg. Watch it here:

‘Save Your Tears’ originally appeared on The Weeknd’s fourth studio album ‘After Hours’, released in March 2020.

In a four-star review of the album, NME ‘s Luke Morgan Britton called ‘After Hours’ “The Weeknd’s strongest record in some time”.

“But still there’s a nagging question of what’s to come,” he added. “Because once you go pop, and then back to your roots, where exactly do you go next? That’s precisely the problem The Weeknd faces with his next effort.”

The singer-songwriter has had one of his biggest years following the release of‘After Hours’. It featured the hits ‘Heartless’, ‘Save Your Tears’, and ‘Blinding Lights’. The latter has become the first song ever to spend an entire year in the Top 10 of the US Hot 100 singles chart .

Despite controversially being snubbed at this year’s Grammy Awards – which he has since said he will now boycott – The Weeknd has hinted that he might have one last surprise for fans before he concludes his ‘After Hours’ era .

The Weeknd also recently announced plans to donate $1million (£723k) to help hunger relief efforts in Ethiopia as conflict continues in the country.

From Publisher: NME

Ariana Grande just gave herself a drag-inspired makeover

Captioning the first clip, Ariana wrote “@Gottmik I really want to be u but it’s just not… in the cards” and told her 232 million followers, “Help me! Guess who doesn’t know how to do drag make-up? Love you.”

She then added another story zooming in on her face and said, “Love you so much!” while again tagging Gottmik and writing “I MEANT WELL @GOTTMIK”.

From Publisher: Cosmopolitan

Ariana Grande Breaks Another Billboard Record With ‘Positions’

Ariana Grande is back inside the top 10 on this week’s Billboard 200 with her album Positions , which returns to the region for another go between Nos. 1 and 10. The pop singer’s latest full-length shoots from No. 17 to No. 6, bolstered by a huge sales frame. But what sparked the surge in purchases?

Five months after it was first released, vinyl LPs of Positions finally shipped, which means all the sales of the title on wax were counted in the previous tracking frame at once. Thanks to that fact, Grande’s latest isn’t just a successful vinyl launch, it makes history.

Last week, Positions , sold 32,000 copies on vinyl, as tens of thousands of fans rushed to their local record store, a big box retailer or went online to grab a copy of the title. That sum isn’t just impressive, it’s one of the largest ever, and when looking solely at releases by women, there’s now a new best showing.

Positions now holds the record for the largest sales week for an album by a woman on vinyl, at least since MRC Data (formerly known as Nielsen) began tracking those purchases more than two decades ago.

Apr 24, 202105:19
Taylor Swift’s ‘Willow’ Hits No. 1 on Adult Pop Airplay Chart

Taylor Swift’s ‘Willow’ Hits No. 1 on Adult Pop Airplay Chart

As Taylor Swift ‘s newest album, Fearless (Taylor’s Version) , blasts in at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, her previous release, Evermore , generates its own latest chart achievement.

The latter’s “Willow” ascends to No. 1 on Billboard ‘s Adult Pop Airplay chart, becoming the first radio chart leader from Evermore .

The lead pop single from Evermore became Swift’s seventh No. 1 on the multi-metric, all-genre Billboard Hot 100 upon its debut on the Dec. 26, 2020-dated tally.

On the latest Adult Pop Airplay chart (dated April 24), “Willow” becomes Swift’s eighth No. 1. She ties Katy Perry for the third-most leaders in the survey’s 25-year history, after Maroon 5’s 14 and Pink’s 10.

Evermore arrived as Swift’s eighth No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and has earned 1 million equivalent album units to-date (391,000 in album sales), according to MRC Data.

“Willow” concurrently holds at its No. 6 high on the Adult Contemporary chart after reaching No. 17 on Pop Airplay. Two other Evermore singles have scaled airplay charts: “Coney Island,” featuring The National, hit No. 18 on Adult Alternative Airplay and “No Body, No Crime,” featuring Haim, rose to No. 54 on Country Airplay.

While not being promoted as a proper radio single from Fearless (Taylor’s Version) , “Love Story (Taylor’s Version)” has hit No. 29 on Adult Contemporary, No. 39 on Adult Pop Airplay and No. 57 on Country Airplay. It launched as Swift’s eighth No. 1 on the multi-metric Hot Country Songs chart.

From publisher: Billboard

Apr 22, 202106:03
Olivia Rodrigo Is Making Chart-Topping History Once Again

Olivia Rodrigo Is Making Chart-Topping History Once Again

Most musicians need to wait years to get to a point where they even have a chance of debuting a new single inside the top 10 on the Hot 100, Billboard ’s weekly ranking of the most-consumed songs in the U.S. To do so, a track needs to rack up thousands of purchases, millions of streams and earn at least minor radio play, all in just its first seven days. That’s a huge feat for the biggest names in the field, let alone a newcomer.

While she may just be getting started on her new musical venture, Olivia Rodrigo has proved herself to be perhaps the most successful musician of all time with a discography as small as hers still is.

Rodrigo shocked the world, including many in the music industry, when her debut proper single “Drivers License” didn’t just make its way to No. 1 on the Hot 100, it debuted there. Even superstars like Drake, Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift sometimes have to fight to start their latest releases atop the tally, while Rodrigo seemed to do so with ease. After launching in first place on the most competitive tally in the country, the track held court in the penthouse for eight weeks, and it still stands as the longest-running leader of 2021.

This week, Rodrigo’s follow-up single “Deja Vu” nearly repeats the success of its predecessor, as it begins its time on the Hot 100 at No. 8. At the same time, “Drivers License” settles in at No. 5, giving her control over two spaces inside the loftiest tier on the tally.

Rodrigo got her musical start, at least as far as the general public is concerned, as the star of the Disney+ program High School Musical: The Musical: The Series . Of all the songs released from the soundtrack that was borne out of the first season of that show, Rodrigo’s “All I Want” was the only one to find its way to the Hot 100. It eventually peaked at No. 90, though it wasn’t promoted as a true single.

Sour , Rodrigo’s debut album, is expected on May 21, at which point it will likely go right to No. 1 on the Billboard 200, giving her a leader on both lists. With just a few songs in her discography, Rodrigo is already one of the most successful pop stars on the planet right now, and she’s already managed feats none before her have…and she’s only just getting started.


Ariana Grande’s “POV,” Olivia Rodrigo’s “Deja Vu” Officially Enter

Last week, Ariana Grande’s “pov” and Olivia Rodrigo’s “deja vu” jointly hit the Top 25 at pop radio. This week, they both earn Top 20 positions on the Mediabase pop radio airplay chart.

Played 5,702 times during the April 11-17 tracking period, “pov” rises three places to #18. This week’s spin count tops last week’s mark by 1,393 plays.

From Publisher: Headline Planet


Rodrigo’s ‘Deja Vu’ Proves Why She’s Pop’s Biggest Up and Coming Star

The new song is another hit from the young artist, who continues to find inspiration from music legends like Lorde and Taylor Swift.

Eighteen-year-old singer-songwriter — and now international popstar — Olivia Rodrigo is the first artist to have both of her first two singles ( “drivers license” and “deja vu”) earn a spot in the top 10 of Billboard’s Hot 100.


Apr 21, 202109:46
Kacey Musgraves’ Next Album to Be an Interscope-UMG Nashville Release

Kacey Musgraves’ Next Album to Be an Interscope-UMG Nashville Release

Kacey Musgraves ’ next album, due out later this year, will be jointly released via Interscope Records and UMG Nashville. The partnership will find the labels collaborating on marketing, radio promotion and international marketing for the six-time Grammy winner’s new music.

Musgraves’ most recent album, “Golden Hour,” released in 2018 via MCA Nashville, won four Grammy Awards, including album of the year, and landed her on most major critics’ consensus 10-best lists for the year. The album’s expansive sound substantially broadened her appeal across genres — resulting, in 2019, in Musgraves being the first woman to play both, the Coachella and Stagecoach festivals on successive weekends — while her core country music support remained firm, as “Golden Hour” also picked up album of the year honors at the CMA Awards and ACM Awards.

Signed by the venerable Luke Lewis, she released her debut, “Same Trailer Different Park,” in 2013; by the time her second album, “Pageant Material,” came out in 2015, she was well established as a concert headliner. Both opened at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and garnered raves from critics.

“Kacey is one of the most powerful storytellers in music today, a true albums artist who creates potent song collections that are timeless,” said Interscope Geffen A&M (IGA) chairman and CEO John Janick in announcing the alignment. “We are truly delighted to have her as part of our Interscope Records family and look forward to working alongside the UMG Nashville team and her manager Jason Owen to deliver this important project to audiences around the world.”

Added IGA vice chairman Steve Berman: “Kacey’s unique approach to making music and her overall boundless creative presentation is innovative and absolutely exciting. We are so happy to welcome her into our Interscope family.”

According to people with knowledge of the deal, the partnership is geared at expanding Musgraves’ reach as an international artist and leveraging IGA’s global presence to help achieve that goal. The appeal to Musgraves’ management team, led by Sandbox Entertainment’s Owen, was in IGA’s reputation for launching a record or project. Also, Owen and Janick have long wanted to work together.

“I have never worked with anyone whose cultural reach is so vast,” offered UMG Nashville chairman and CEO Mike Dungan . “This artist and her music have thrived in so many diverse environments. Kacey, the music and the career deserve the broadest base of experience and expertise. We have discussed some type of cross-label partnership for her music for a couple of years now, and this is the perfect fit. We’re excited to partner with our friends at Interscope on the next chapter of Kacey Musgraves.”

Apr 21, 202105:12
Rina Sawayama: Tiny Desk (Home) Concert

Rina Sawayama: Tiny Desk (Home) Concert

The Tiny Desk is working from home for the foreseeable future. Introducing NPR Music’s Tiny Desk (home) concerts, bringing you performances from across the country and the world. It’s the same spirit — stripped-down sets, an intimate setting — just a different space.

As usual, Rina Sawayama is one step ahead of us. She’s back in the office, clad in a periwinkle blazer with waist cut-outs and a high ponytail cleaner than the view of the city skyline. Make no mistake: even in fluorescent lighting, the Japanese British pop star performs with the same tenacity and drama you hear in her 2020 debut album, SAWAYAMA , a lustrous pop epic peppered with early aughts R&B, nu-metal and classic rock.

Unable to tour because of the pandemic, the artist has been holding onto these songs for the last year. Sawayama’s Tiny Desk (home) concert successfully reminds us — in just three tracks — of her range and versatility as both artist and performer. Tears calcify in “Dynasty,” a song like a salve to wounds inherited from generations past. The heaviness of the music never overshadows her voice, which ascends heroically. “Won’t you break the chain with me?” she belts out.

As if turning the other cheek, Sawayama swiftly moves into the sweet, cha-ching pop of “XS,” and later the soft-hearted ballad “Chosen Family,” rendered in the style of her 2021 collaboration with Elton John. The song was reborn, in part, because of John’s admiration for Sawayama and her ability to cross-pollinate genres, but also because the two held “Chosen Family,” both the song and concept, dearly. Funny enough, the song’s thesis — “I chose you / You chose me” — reflects their meeting, too.


From Publisher: NPR.org

In Rina Sawayama, Elton John Found a Collaborator and a Friend

John, 74, and Sawayama, 30, found they have much in common. During his breakout years in the early to mid 1970s, John was something of a pop heretic as well, a rock icon steeped in glam, psychedelia, blues, you name it. Both singers are outspoken about their politics and motivated by passion and care for the queer community. They also brandish imaginations global in scope. John has lately been agitating for government intervention on behalf of young British musicians left logistically stranded in the wake of Brexit. And recently, thanks to intense lobbying from Sawayama — who was born in Japan and raised in England — the British Phonogram Industry extended eligibility for the BRIT Awards and the Mercury Prize, the U.K.’s marquee music prizes, to artists who’ve resided in the United Kingdom for five years.

Rina Sawayama Taps Elton John for New “Chosen Family”:

“This song, I thought, ‘God, this is exactly what we need to be saying right now.’ It’s a song about peace,” Elton John told Sawayama of the track on the latest episode of his Apple Music 1 radio show  Rocket Hour . “I don’t care if someone wants to vote Republican or Democrat or be gay or be straight or be Asian or be Black or be Indian. I didn’t care about that. But people are using that to stir up hatred. And I don’t know whether they mean it or not. I just think they’re stoking the furnaces, and I don’t like it.”

From Publisher: The New York Times

Apr 19, 202104:16
Marc Anthony & ViacomCBS Partner on Comedy Series

Marc Anthony & ViacomCBS Partner on Comedy Series

Multi-Grammy and Latin Grammy Award-winning musician Marc Anthony has another project set up with ViacomCBS International Studios (VIS), a comedy set in the world of social media.

Liked  is described as a comedy series about a millennial who does whatever it takes, including lying, to achieve fame as an online influencer. Anthony and VIS president JC Acosta announced the project Wednesday (April 14) during a pre-recorded keynote session as part of the digital MIPTV international television market.

The series will feature Anthony’s music, and the multitalent will serve as both executive producer and executive music producer for the show. Anthony’s Magnus Studios shingle will produce together with Latin American production house Lanugo Media and Mundoloco Animation Studios.

Liked  will be the second collaboration between VIS and Magnus, joining the animated kids’ series  Gloria Wants to Know It All , which follows an alpaca from the city who spends time at her grandfather’s house in the country, and as a result, learns about Latin American culture.

“Our continued partnership with Magnus Studios and a talented artist like Marc is a testament to our studio’s commitment to telling compelling, unique stories that resonate with audiences around the world,” said Acosta.

Added Anthony: “We are very excited and it is an honor to have the opportunity to work with ViacomCBS International Studios on these projects that mean so much to us and to share with the world stories that bring to light our culture.”

From Publisher: Billboard

Marc Anthony apologizes for concert’s ‘total collapse’

Marc Anthony publicly apologized to his fans on Sunday after what he called “a total collapse of the streaming platform” that was to show his virtual concert worldwide over the weekend.

Anthony’s “One Night Only” show was promoted globally, with a guest performance by Daddy Yankee. But Anthony later said “overwhelming demand” caused a major tech glitch that kept the show from going on.

The singer pledged: “You can rest assured that I am doing everything in my power to make sure that the people that spent their hard-earned money have the opportunity to see the show as soon as possible and will make it right for you all.”

The snafu sparked online complaints by disappointed fans, and made Anthony a trending Twitter topic when they could not access the show.

At 1:30 a.m., the pop star, 52, said that the show was not going on, and issued an apology via social media.

Apr 18, 202102:50
Camille Kostek prepares for Summer and Caroline Marks is ready to surf Team USA

Camille Kostek prepares for Summer and Caroline Marks is ready to surf Team USA

Camille Kostek may be known for her good looks, but before gracing the pages of Sports Illustrated ‘s Swimsuit issue (four times), she was a reporter and anchor. Now, she’s bringing her skills over to the Wipeout revival, where she’s the host in the field.

How’s the vibe on set between you and hosts John Cena and Nicole Byer?
Great vibes! We each bring our own flair and personality to the show to do our best and bring joy to everyone watching.

Have you been tempted to try out the course?
Yes! When I got the call that I was going to be one of the hosts, my immediate question to the producer was, “Can I run the course?!”

From Publisher: OK Magazine

As activities line up for Summer:
Caroline Marks is ready to surf for Team USA during historic Summer Olympics debut in Tokyo

Heading toward the historic debut of surfing as an Olympic sport, Team USA member Caroline Marks is confident she has upgraded her skills since the COVID-19 pandemic brought the pro tour to a halt last year.

“I feel like my surfing’s improved, and my training’s improved. It’s been good. Obviously, I missed competing so much — and I’m so grateful to be back competing,” Marks said Wednesday night during an interview from Australia.

From Publisher: Florida Today

Let’s heat things up a bit:

Celebrities Are Obsessed With The Backless Dress Trend – Oh Kylie Jenner’s Is Insane!

Anyone looking to show some skin this season can go with a backless dress. The trend is far less scandalous than low-cut necklines or teeny-tiny tanks, but still offers plenty of sex appeal.

Don’t believe us? Check out celebs like Kylie Jenner and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley , who have been flaunting their curves in different versions of the backless dress. If you’re ready to channel your inner celeb, we’re calling it now–this trend is going to be everywhere in spring and summer 2021!

From Publisher: SheFinds

Meanwhile:

Ashley Graham declares herself ‘a part time LA baddie’ as she poses in patterned blazer

The plus-size model posted some snaps to Instagram on Wednesday striking a pose in front of a white-walled modern home with the caption: ‘She’s a part time LA baddie.’

Graham, 33, oozed attitude as she leaned against the house wall wearing zig-zag patterned blazer and shorts by Rowing Blazers from its collaboration with Umbro.

Ashley Graham was all smiles as she posed for a series of new shots she shared to Instagram this week. The supermodel wore a laidback look that consisted of a matching shirt and shorts set from Rowing Blazers in a fun zig zag pattern.


Apr 18, 202105:38
The BTS Members Gave Each Other Ridiculous Nicknames During 1 Trip To Hawaii

The BTS Members Gave Each Other Ridiculous Nicknames During 1 Trip To Hawaii

Some call BTS’ RM “Mr. President,” others call him the “ God of Destruction .” During one trip to Hawaii, RM gave himself another nickname — Porrnesian Parrapio. In fact, each of the BTS performers gave themselves new stage names during this “Bon Voyage” episode.

Even when they aren’t performing in stadiums across the globe, the BTS idols are traveling together. Bon Voyage is a reality series featuring the BTS members as they traveled around the world. Each season featured a different location, the first being Northern Europe, the fourth being New Zealand.

As each season was released, episodes became available for purchase, although Episode 0 is available without purchased the season, according to BTS Fandom . The first season of this series premiered in 2016, just a few years after BTS’ debut as a K-pop group.

Aloha! The second season of this series featured performers RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook in a new, tropical setting. This season aired on June 27, 2017, and took place in Hawaii.

For over 9 days, these performers traveled to Queen’s Marketplace, Four Seasons Hualalai Palm Grove, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, and everywhere in between. During one meal, the BTS members decided to give themselves new names, according to a video .

J-Hope, of course, adopted the name J-Dope. Jin named himself Bread Genie and Jungkook said his name was Justin Seagull. J-Hope named Suga “Yeon Kimin.” Jimin said his name was J-Move, as in “movement.”

“That’s very tacky,” Suga said of Jimin’s name, according to a translation, to which the other members laughed. RM named himself “Porrnesian Parrapio,” whatever that means.

Names like Bread Genie and Justin Seagull didn’t stick, but the BTS members earned several nicknames from fans. RM became the “God of Destruction,” Jungkook became the “Golden Maknae.”

From Publisher: Showbiz Cheat Sheet


BTS hit ‘Boy With Luv’ breaks YouTube views

The music video for the 2019 BTS hit “Boy With Luv (Feat. Halsey)” has earned more than 1.2 billion views on YouTube in another milestone for the K-pop dynamo.

“Boy With Luv,” the main track for the seven-piece act’s sixth EP “Map of the Soul: Persona,” hit 1.2 billion views at 9:48 a.m. on Thursday, according to Big Hit Music, the group’s agency.

The upbeat track, featuring American singer-songwriter Halsey, debuted at No. 8 on Billboard’s main singles chart and stayed on it for eight consecutive weeks.

The EP, which also includes hit track “Mikrokosmos” and “Make It Right” featuring British singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran, had hit the top spot on Billboard’s main albums chart, making BTS the first group since the Beatles to earn three No. 1s in less than a year.

BTS now has three music videos that have been watched more than a billion times. Its 2018 release “DNA” has earned 1.2 billion views, while Billboard-topping hit “Dynamite” recently broke 1 billion views.

Apr 17, 202106:14
Britney Spears Assures #FreeBritney Fans She’s OK

Britney Spears Assures #FreeBritney Fans She’s OK

Britney did a little Q&A on her Insta Friday, and the headline was surely assuring everyone she’s OK … and not just OK, but “extremely happy.”

The 39-year-old singer, who’s been under a conservatorship for 13+ years, seemed chill. Many fans tried decoding her penchant for red — i.e., her red fridge — thinking it might be a code red of sorts pleading for help. But, in a Freudian-like way, Brit said sometimes a red fridge is just a red fridge.

Britney says she’s taking a break to enjoy herself, and there was rare, public evidence of that this week when she hit up the Malibu Country Mart for a little shopping.

Britney has said she didn’t like the ‘Framing Britney Spears’ documentary, although she added she only saw bits and pieces of it.


Britney Spears documentary, conservatorship: Everything she’s said


Spears said she’s focused on “keep(ing) my own joy… love… and happiness,” especially through dance: “It takes a lot of strength to TRUST the universe with your real vulnerability cause I’ve always been so judged… insulted… and embarrassed by the media… and I still am till this day.”

Britney Spears officially requested the resignation of her father as her personal conservator, according to documents filed March 23 in probate court in Los Angeles.

She sought to permanently replace him with Jodi Montgomery, a state-appointed conservator who has temporarily acted as her personal conservator since her father relinquished the role in September 2019 amid health issues.

In an attachment, her lawyer sought to ensure that Montgomery would have the power to make medical decisions, communicate with her doctors and have access to her medical records. She also would be able to limit Britney’s visitors with the exception of her lawyer, retain caretakers and security guards on a 24/7 basis, and prosecute civil harassment restraining orders deemed appropriate.

Apr 17, 202107:26
Evanescence Release New Music Video for Better Without You

Evanescence Release New Music Video for Better Without You

After almost a decade, Evanescence late last month released their latest album via Sony Music Australia .

The result has overwhelmed fans and newcomers alike, with its harder-edged, out and out rock sensibilities surprising even the most diehard of fans. It s an epic, guitar-driven album, accentuated by the unmistakable prowess of vocalist Amy Lee , solidifying her reputation as “one of rock’s defining voices”.

Drummer Will Hunt sat down with HEAVY to talk about the album and what Evanescence has been doing for the better part of ten years.

“Man I tell you what this has been incredible,” he enthused of the album’s reception. “I don’t even know how to explain it… we’re just beyond grateful. The gratitude is immense for how well this record is doing and it’s incredible to think that we haven’t really put out a full-length record in over ten years with new original material and people are just gravitating t it the way that they are. I think even people that aren’t Evanescence fans – legit Evanescence fans – are even enjoying this record. It speaks volumes to the perseverance of the band; the perseverance of what Amy has set out to do and what we tried to do together and we’re really blessed and happy and grateful. It’s incredible.”

Despite the fact that Evanescence have been out of the public spotlight for so long, Hunt says the band always felt confident in the knowledge their enduring fan base would stay loyal.

“We did the Synthesis record in 2017 and we went on tour for that and we thought there might be five people a night at this thing or it might do great and wildly it sold out all over the world. We did two sold-out nights at Sydney Opera House amongst other places and it was perceived as this really cool adventurous thing so I think that gave us the confidence to say let’s just do what we want. There’s no pressure. Let’s just do what we want, make a record that we’re proud of and hopefully, that transcends and I think… without Synthesis we wouldn’t have been able to make this record the way we made it.”

In the full interview, Will talks about the songs on the album and its heavier leanings, the focus of The Bitter Truth after a decade away, the writing process and how it differed from the past, the overall message of The Bitter Truth , the recently released DVD Evanescence: Embracing The Bitter Truth and more.

Apr 17, 202105:05
Shania Twain rewears Man! I Feel Like a Woman! outfit

Shania Twain rewears Man! I Feel Like a Woman! outfit

The 55-year-old posed up a storm for Instagram this Thursday in the same black corset and matching miniskirt she modeled all those years back for the racy video.

Then and now: Shania Twain has revealed she can still fit into the ultra-tight outfit she first modeled in the Man! I Feel Like A Woman! music video all the way back in 1999

While Shania donned a similar jacket to the one she sported in the video, this one appeared to be shorter and thinner.

The hitmaker finished the fun look with an elaborate choker with tassels that did not feature in the iconic video.

However she was still wearing the throwback chic black opera gloves and matching top hat that fans of her music video will remember.

In the video Shania posted to Instagram, the star intercut clips of herself reprising the outfit with highlights of the original video.

The last detail: However the white jacket she chose for her new look appeared to be shorter and thinner than the one from the original music video

Incidentally: Shania made a couple more changes to the look by clasping on an elaborate choker with tassels that did not feature in Man! I Feel Like A Woman

From Publisher: Mail Online

PICTURES: Shania Twain Shows off New Puppy

Shania Twain’s family is growing! The “You’re Still The One” singer recently shared a sweet snapshot of her family’s new puppy, which they named Camper.

Twain’s timing was perfect, as she celebrated National Pet Day on Sunday (April 11) by sharing a photo on Instagram of herself snuggling with her fluffy new pup in front of a stunning lake setting.

“Introducing Camper!! Expect A LOT of puppy videos from here on out,” she captioned the photo, complete with a heart eyes emoji.

Twain, of course, is well known for her love of animals. During last year’s ACM special event Our Country , Twain performed acoustic renditions of her hits including “Honey I’m Home” and “Man! I Feel Like A Woman!” while from a horse stable on her home property. One of her horses even stole the show as it nuzzled her while she performed.

In October 2020, Twain celebrated the 25-year anniversary of her album The Woman in Me by releasing a three-CD box set Diamond Edition of the project.

Released in 1995, the album contained “Any Man of Mine,” Twain’s first chart-topping country single. The album also contained hits including “You Win My Love,” “No One Needs to Know” and “(If You’re Not In It for Love) I’m Outta Here!” By the end of 1995, the album had sold 4 million copies. By 1996, the album surpassed Patsy Cline’s Greatest Hits to become the best-selling album by a female country artist—a feat that Twain’s 1997 followup project, Come On Over, would claim in 1999. By 1997, The Woman in Me had earned Diamond Status for shipments of 10 million copies, and has now sold an estimated 20 million copies.

From Publisher: CMT News

Apr 16, 202104:30
Karol G and Mariah Angeliq

Karol G and Mariah Angeliq

Karol G went into the Latin American Music Awards tied with J Balvin for the most nominations with a total of 9. Awards aside, the singer just took over the stage with Mariah Angeliq, blowing away fans with the performance of their new song “El Makinon.” Sitting on opposite sides of the stage at the start of the performance the ladies met in the middle and didn’t need anyone but each other to get down to their song. Their outfits were an amazing mix of masculine and feminine and both ladies rocked high white boxers over their blue baggy jeans with sexy crop tops. Karol G and Mariah had the audience cheering and screaming as they twerked, and teased each other. The fire and intimacy stayed on the stage even after the song ended.

The song is all about independence, breaking the rules, and the power of a woman. Since her recent break up from Anuel-AA it’s clear Karol G is thriving in her independence. The “Bichota” singer started the night strong winning song of the year for “Tusa” featuring Nicky Minaj .

“El Makinon” debuted at number 9 on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs and the music video went viral, with over 58 million views to date.

From Publisher: HOLA! USA

Karol G & Mariah Angeliq Bring Girl-Power Vibes to 2021 Latin AMAs With ‘El Makinon

All eyes were on Colombian star Karol G, who took the stage to perform “El Makinon” with Mariah Angeliq during the 2021 Latin AMAs on Thursday (April 15).

The two started the performance at opposite ends of the stage but gradually came closer to sing the infectious, head-bopping reggaeton bop. Toward the end of the performance, a troupe of dancers, wearing face masks, joined them onstage for the ultimate girl-power performance.

A focus track from her latest album KG0516, “El Makinon” is about breaking all the rules with the girls. “Makinon,” slang for a big machine, tells the story of a girl who’s been independent since she was 16 years old — and now that she’s older, she can still depend on herself.

This year, Karol and J Balvin lead the list of nominees with nine nods each. She’s up for artist of the year, sharing the category with Balvin, Anuel AA, Bad Bunny, Christian Nodal, Eslabon Armado, Maluma, Ozuna and Sech.

Hosted by Mexican actress Jacqueline Bracamontes, the 2021 Latin AMAs – live from the BB&T Center in Sunrise, Florida – also featured performances from Ozuna, Maluma, Camilo, Los Dos Carnales, Eslabon Armado and here.

From publisher: Billboard

Apr 16, 202102:42
Stephen Colbert Presses Taylor Swift to Reveal Who “Hey Stephen” Is About

Stephen Colbert Presses Taylor Swift to Reveal Who “Hey Stephen” Is About

Taylor Swift made an appearance on The Late Show on Tuesday night to set the record straight about who the Stephen is in her song “Hey Stephen” from her Fearless album, which is part of the songbook that is being re-recorded by the singer.

Colbert expressed the opinion that the song is about him and pressed Swift for confirmation. “I recorded that song in 2008, I think I was, like, 18,” she said, dismissing the suggestion. “Right, and I was also a younger age,” said the late night host. Swift then proceeded to tell him the exact age he was in that year: 44 years, 179 days old, give or take several hours.

“Like I said, I’m a big fan,” the singer told Colbert. He then thanked her for sending a signed CD. “Oh, yeah, you know I signed it to you, Stephen with a PH, I sent it to the Colbert Report, 513 West 54th St, New York, 10019, second floor office facing the street.”

Colbert pressed the singer again: “Are you sure ‘Hey Stephen’ isn’t about me?” Swift replied, “It’s just the power of music, Stephen. Good songs make you feel like it’s about you.” Speaking of getting back into the “right headspace” to authentically re-record the song, Swift brought out her old mood board, which consisted of pictures of Colbert.

Yet she continued to explain how the song was not written about him. “‘Hey Stephen’ is not about you any more than my album 1989 is about that year you spent waiting tables on the lunch shift at [an Italian restaurant] in the River North area of Chicago that, by the way, serves a really incredible slice of pizza.” She pointed to a photo of pizza on her mood board.

At this point, Stephen demanded to know who the song is about. “If you really want to know who it’s about, and that seems to be the case, I’ve never revealed this before to anyone, but ‘Hey Stephen’ is about Stephen King,” Swift said.

As the two continued going back and forth, Swift explained what a real song about Stephen Colbert would look like. “It’s too obvious to call it ‘Hey Stephen’ … Songwriting is all about the details so you go, ‘Hey Stephen, I love you on the TV, and all the stuff you did on the Daily Show and that time you were on Law & Order , you’re 5’11, your middle name’s Tyrone, social security number is 3 … “After cutting her off as she called out numbers, Colbert exclaimed, “No matter how much you say that ‘Hey Stephen’ isn’t about me, I keep getting the strong feeling that it is.”

“That seems like a you thing, for you to sort of process. But the thing about that feeling that maybe you should address within yourself; I think it’s something that you should process and then take the feeling that you’re feeling and just ‘Shake It Off.’ Right? But that song, is about you.”

As Swift’s mobile phone begins to ring, she answers the call. “Oh, it’s Stephen King. I have to go.”

From Publisher: The Hollywood Reporter

Apr 15, 202106:53
Liz Phair to release new album Soberish

Liz Phair to release new album Soberish

Liz Phair has announced that her first album in 11 years titled Soberish is set to be released on June 4 through Chrysalis Records.

Phair made the announcement on Wednesday alongside the release of her latest single, “Spanish Doors.” Advertisement

The track is available to stream on YouTube , Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Tidal, Deezer and Pandora.

“Pushing past the table, spilling my drink/ Locked up in the bathroom, staring at the sink/ I don’t want to see anybody I know/ I don’t want to be anywhere that you and I used to go,” Phair sings.

Phair last released the album Funstyle in 2010. The musician said during an interview with UPI that the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the release of Soberish and that staying indoors made music more difficult to pursue.

From Publisher: UPI

Liz Phair, her full name is Elizabeth Clark Phair is an American singer-songwriter.

Born in New Haven, Connecticut, Phair was adopted at birth and raised primarily in the Chicago area. After graduating from Oberlin College in 1990, she attempted to start a musical career in San Francisco, California, but returned to her home in Chicago, where she began self-releasing tracks under the name Girly Sound. She soon landed a recording contract with record label Matador Records.

Her 1993 debut studio album, Exile in Guyville, was released to critical acclaim; it has been ranked by Rolling Stone as one of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. Phair followed this with her second album, Whip-Smart (1994), which earned her a Grammy Award nomination for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance.

Phair signed with Dave Matthews’ label ATO Records in early 2008 and re-released Exile in Guyville on June 24, 2008, featuring three songs, “Ant in Alaska” and “Say You”.

Phair is due to tour with Alanis Morissette for Morissette’s rescheduled 2020 tour later in 2021.

Apr 14, 202102:19
Alfonso Ribeiro explains ‘Bel Air’ show not a Fresh Prince reboot

Alfonso Ribeiro explains ‘Bel Air’ show not a Fresh Prince reboot

NBC’s streaming platform Peacock has already given a two-season order to the reimagining of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air from director Morgan Cooper and executive producer Will Smith .

As theGRIO previously reported, the project is described as a dramatic retelling “that leans into the original premise of Will’s complicated journey from the streets of West Philadelphia to the gated mansions of Bel-Air. With a reimagined vision, Bel-Air will dive deeper into the inherent conflicts, emotions and biases of what it means to be a Black man in America today, while still delivering the swagger and fun nods to the original show.”

Alfonso Ribeiro , who played Carlton Banks on the beloved 90’s sitcom, wants fans of the series to know that the upcoming Bel-Air project is in no way a Fresh Prince reboot.

“A reboot would be taking the actual show and characters and bringing it back,” he said in an interview with E! News . “This is a totally different show. It’s not even based on the show. It’s based on the theme song. It’s a completely different thing. It’s drama. It’s not comedy. I have nothing to do with it so I don’t really know anything more.”

Ribeiro believes the concept of Bel-Air is far more intriguing than a reboot of the comedy series.

“I actually appreciate it even more than a reboot. Let’s take a concept and turn it into a different show. I’m like, roll the dice. Go ahead and try it and see what happens,” he said.

Smith, Ribeiro, along with the late James Avery , Janet Hubert Whitten (and then Daphne Maxwell Reid ), Karyn Parsons , Tatyana Ali , Joseph Marcell and Smith’s rap partner DJ Jazzy Jeff starred on Fresh Prince of Bel-Air for six seasons from 1990-1996 on NBC. In September 2020, the cast reunited for an HBO Max special. Smith also had an “emotional reunion and a candid conversation,” with Hubert for the first time in 27 years. The actress played his Aunt Viv before she was replaced by Reid.

“We’re a family and we love each other dearly. It was great to be able to get together and I think the audience will experience kind of what it was like for us to shoot the show, and the chemistry and the connection that we all have,” Ribeiro previously told theGrio .

From Publisher: TheGrio

Apr 14, 202104:38
Lizzo Comments on the Body Positivity Movement

Lizzo Comments on the Body Positivity Movement

According to Lizzo, the body-positivity movement is no longer centered on the type of people who created it.

“Now that body positivity has been co-opted by all bodies, and people are finally celebrating medium and small girls and people who occasionally get rolls, fat people are still getting the short end of this movement,” she said.

“Yes, please be positive about your body,” she said. “Please use our movement to empower yourselves. That’s the point. But the people who created this movement — big women, big brown and Black women, queer women — are not benefiting from the mainstream success of it.”

Lizzo capped off her TikTok asking viewers to support people with all body types — not just “these medium girls that you praise.” In her caption, she asked fans to use the movement to empower themselves but also to “protect and uplift the bodies it was created for and by.”

From Publisher: USA TODAY

Body positive Lizzo stops and poses for the cameras after dinner in LA


I would like to appreciate Lizzo today. Because while there are certainly celebrities, many of them, who can’t stand the paparazzi, and they have valid reasons for it, there are other celebrities who aren’t bothered by the paps. And don’t bother pretending they don’t like the attention. Here’s Lizzo leaving a restaurant after dinner in LA last night. When she came out, she posed briefly for the photographers who were waiting outside.

Lizzo is having a good time. She’s enjoying her success. She is claiming the spotlight. She has earned her spotlight. And, by the way, she must be sober by now but she still hasn’t deleted this yet, nor should she. The moments when you can look in the mirror and love what you see are the moments worth keeping.

When Lizzo is getting papped then, when she’s stopping for photographers and not hiding herself, knowing that these photos will be made available the way people with other body types are made available, she understands that these visuals she’s providing are representing a less narrow perspective of who gets to be papped, who gets to be famous, and who gets the attention.

The fact that she grabbed another phone for another shot of V says to me that Lizzo consumes a lot of BTS content on her downtime.

Apr 14, 202105:36
Lady Gaga reacts to Volume II of Artpop campaign

Lady Gaga reacts to Volume II of Artpop campaign

Lady Gaga has responded to a fan campaign that pushed her 2013 album ‘Artpop’ up iTunes charts around the world, revealing that she “always believed it was ahead of its time”.

Subsequently, the album rose up iTunes charts globally, hitting Number Three in the US just after Taylor Swift ‘s re-release of ‘Fearless’.

Responding to the campaign, Lady Gaga took to social media to say that it “has inspired such a tremendous warmth in (her) heart”.

“I fell apart after I released this album. Thank you for celebrating something that once felt like destruction.”

“We always believed it was ahead of its time,” she continued. “Years later turns out, sometimes, artists know. And so do little monsters. Paws up.”

‘Artpop Act II’ was set to contain unheard songs that were intended to follow 2013’s ‘Artpop’ but the project was never released publicly.

“The song is called ‘Do What U Want (With My Body)’ and I think it’s clear how explicitly twisted my thinking was at the time.”

From Publisher: NME

Lady Gaga Stuns in a Wedding Dress on the Set of ‘House of Gucci’

Few movies, let alone production stills, have been able to capture the zeitgeist the way House of Gucci has. For weeks now, the upcoming film from Ridley Scott —starring Oscar-winning pop sensation Lady Gaga and Oscar-nominated perennial internet boyfriend Adam Driver, with Oscar winners Al Pacino, Jared Leto, and Jeremy Irons in supporting roles—has driven the internet to distraction based solely on the strength of its set photos. Look! There’s Adam Driver and Lady Gaga decked out in impeccable ’80s ski attire, posing together on the deck of some fabulous ski chalet. Gasp! A brunette Lady Gaga forcefully shoves a calzone down Adam Driver’s throat. The photos are gaudy, bawdy, aggressively Italian, and most importantly, seem to have all the ingredients necessary to make an incredible motion picture.

Unfortunately for humankind, there’s no House of Gucci footage available for public consumption just yet. So in the meantime, we will be paying way too much attention to the best production stills, losing ourselves in the Italian decadence of House of Gucci —and speculating as to what this film, which has already given us so much, has in store.

The picture that launched a thousand tweets. Backed by a stunning snowy landscape, Gaga and Driver are serving après-ski eleganza, cozied up together on the deck of the ski chalet in their black and white snow gear. Gaga’s white Cossack hat and jewelry combined look like they’re worth approximately six months’ rent (plus utilities), and Chris Evans ’s Knives Out cable-knit sweater wants what Adam Driver’s House of Gucci sweater has. At first glance, they look like the picture-perfect couple, but if you look into Gaga’s eyes, you can see she’s plotting something…

Gaga stands next to a pool, in a shoulder-less white minidress, matching shawl, and black belt, dutifully listening to a member of production. It’s a simple photo, but at least suggests that we may be getting some stunning scenic shots from the Scott film, which was shot on location in Italy. Molto bello !

Sporting the same white ensemble, Gaga is photographed wearing a fur coat that can only be described as “ J.Lo ’s Hustlers coat, but make it fashion.” Is this coat featured in the film? Or was the star merely cold in between takes? From the looks of it, Gaga wears a lot of stunning outerwear in the film, so it’s probably the former. In either case, she looks warm and happy.

Apr 13, 202107:20
Puma Taps Dua Lipa, Winnie Harlow to Lead Sneaker Campaigns

Puma Taps Dua Lipa, Winnie Harlow to Lead Sneaker Campaigns

Puma teamed up with two of its top female brand ambassadors —Grammy-winning singer Dua Lipa and past America’s Next Top Model contestant Winnie Harlow—for a pair of drops last week. The German sportswear company tapped Lipa to wear its new Mayze sneaker for the brand’s first solo campaign with the “Don’t Start Now” singer.


Dua Lipa Stars in YSL Libre Fragrance Ad

Dua Lipa arrives at the 63rd annual Grammy Awards at the Los Angeles Convention Center on March 14, 2021.

Dua Lipa is fittingly free in the new campaign advertisement on Monday (April 12) for YSL Beauty’s Libre Eau de Parfum and Eau de Toilette.

“Don’t be afraid of your freedom,” she says in the clip as she climbs up a set of stairs to the top of a building, where she removes her top and bares all to the city below.

“‘Cause I’m free to do what I want any old time,” she sings in the background, covering the Rolling Stones’ 1965 track, “I’m Free.”

“Spring is hereeee and so is my new campaign for @yslbeauty #LIBRE shot by my buddyyy Nabil,” she captioned the 20-second ad on Twitter.

From Publisher: Billboard

Dua Lipa and Olivia Rodrigo lead UK’s biggest album and tracks of 2021 so far

Dua Lipa and Olivia Rodrigo have led the way with the UK’s biggest album and song of 2021 so far.

Dua’s acclaimed second record ‘ Future Nostalgia ‘ has remained in the Official Albums Chart since its release a year ago, securing an impressive 33 weeks in the top 10, four of which were at Number 1.

The record’s total UK chart sales currently stand at 334,000, including 69,000 from this year, which is thought to have been boosted by the release of its Moonlight Edition in February.

Close behind in second place, and the UK’s biggest new release of the year, is Foo Fighters’ tenth album ‘Medicine At Midnight’.

The tenth studio album from Dave Grohl and co debuted at Number 1 back in February, becoming their fifth to reach the summit.

As for songs, Olivia is currently leading the pack with debut single ‘Drivers License’ – which proved to be a massive hit upon release in January. It went straight in at Number One and remained at the top spot for a staggering nine weeks – making it the longest-running Number 1 debut single since Gnarls Barkley’s ‘Crazy’ in 2006.

Second place was secured by ‘Wellerman’, the debut single by Scottish singer-songwriter Nathan Evans.

After becoming a viral sensation on TikTok with the sea shanty last year, Nathan signed a record deal with Polydor to secure the track’s official release – including a remix with producers 220 Kid and Billen Ted. It has since notched up 396,000 UK chart sales, including 41.2m streams.

Apr 12, 202106:31
Nessa Barrett Joined by Travis Barker and jxdn on Ellen

Nessa Barrett Joined by Travis Barker and jxdn on Ellen

Nessa Barrett performs her hit “la di die,” featuring jxdn and Travis Barker on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on April 12th.

With help from Travis Barker , Nessa Barrett and jxdn performed their single “la di die” Monday (April 12) on Ellen .

Barrett first released “la di die” back in February. The rising artist is nominated — alongside jxdn (real name Jaden Hossler) — for the Social Star Award at the 2021 iHeart Radio Music Awards on May 27.

From Publisher: Billboard

Indeed, the artists join forces to perform the song on Monday’s edition of the popular daytime talk show. The performance airs as “la di die,” a Top 25 hit at alternative radio, begins its run at the pop format.

The recorded version of “la di die” credits Barrett as lead artist and jxdn as the featured performer. Barker has writing and production credit on the track.

Monday’s “Ellen,” which also features interviews with Mark Wahlberg and Brandi Carlile, airs later this afternoon. A video of the “la di die” performance, however, is already available below:

Brian Cantor is the editor-in-chief for Headline Planet. He has been a leading reporter in the music, movie, television and sporting spaces since 2002.

Brian’s reporting has been cited by major websites like BuzzFeed, Billboard, the New Yorker and The Fader — and shared by celebrities like Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber and Nicki Minaj.

From Publisher: Headline Planet

Josh Richards and Nessa Barrett Officially Break Up Amid Drama with Mads Lewis and Jaden Hossler

“Yes, me and Nessa are broken up,” he said. “We are not together.” Josh did clarify, though, that there’s a “zero percent” chance Nessa hooked up with Josh’s best friend, Jaden, despite Mads’ claims otherwise.

As a reminder, last week, Mads went on TikTok and seemingly made the claim that Nessa stole Mads’ then-boyfriend, Jaden. “For me the weirdest part of it was one, not really knowing the whole situation and then two, it was that I had like 15 to 20 million other people that were in my business,” Josh said on the podcast.

Now, he has talked to both Nessa and Jaden and all three of them are on good terms, but unfortunately, Josh doesn’t think there’s a future for him and Nessa.

“I think me and Ness are pretty much 100% for sure never going to be together again, but we’re definitely friends,” he said.

“I haven’t really been on my phone in six days,” he said, admitting that he’s been blasting “All Girls Are The Same” by Juice Wrld.

Apr 12, 202104:13
The Weeknd is top nominee for May’s iHeartRadio Music Awards

The Weeknd is top nominee for May’s iHeartRadio Music Awards

LOS ANGELES — The Weeknd, Megan Thee Stallion and Roddy Ricch are among the top nominees for next month’s iHeartRadio Music Awards.

The Weeknd’s eight nominations include male artist of the year, competing with Ricch, Harry Styles, Justin Bieber and Post Malone, and song of the year for “Blinding Lights.”

Ricch and Megan Thee Stallion earned seven nods each, including hip-hop artist of the year. Also competing in the category are DaBaby, Lil Baby and Pop Smoke.

Megan Thee Stallion is a contender for female artist of the year, alongside Ariana Grande, Billie Eilish, Dua Lipa and Taylor Swift, according to Wednesday’s announcement for the May 27 awards airing on Fox.

Other song of the year nominees are Malone’s “Circles”; Dua Lipa’s “Don’t Start Now”; “Rockstar” from DaBaby and featuring Ricch, and Harry Styles’ “Watermelon Sugar.”

Dr. Luke, who’s enjoyed a creative renewal with hits including Doja Cat’s “Say So” and earned his first Grammy nod this year in seven years, was nominated as producer of the year. Competing with Dr. Luke, who remains embroiled in a lawsuit with Kesha, are Andrew Watt, Frank Dukes, Louis Bell and Max Martin.

Nominees for Latin pop or reggaeton artist of the year are Bad Bunny, J Balvin, Karol G, Maluma and Ozuna.

Blake Shelton, Luke Bryan, Luke Combs, Maren Morris and Thomas Rhett are country artist of the year contenders.

BTS, Dan + Shay, Jonas Brothers, Maroon 5 and twenty one pilots are the nominees for best duo or group.

From Publisher: ABC News

Apr 12, 202108:16
Doja Cat and SZA, Taylor Swift and More

Doja Cat and SZA, Taylor Swift and More

This week, Taylor Swift dives into her version of Fearless , Doja Cat and SZA combine for a summer jam, and J Balvin and Khalid yearn in different languages. Check out all of this week’s First Stream picks below:

As the weather heats up, vaccines roll out and public gatherings gradually become more commonplace, so will public displays of affection — and Doja Cat and SZA have teamed up to provide the soundtrack for such occasions. “Kiss Me More” revisits the disco-pop thump of Doja’s breakthrough smash “Say So” with a romantic, slightly subtle touch: the pair keep their rhymes tight and chorus vocals breathy, but don’t mince words while declaring, “All on my tongue, I want it!”

Taylor Swift’s journey to re-record her first six studio albums has kicked off with 2008’s Fearless , a project that earned the album of the year Grammy, sold millions of copies, scored multiple top 10 hits on the Hot 100 chart, and still holds up as a heartfelt snapshot of a brilliant songwriter coming of age. Diehard fans will love exploring how Swift reworked the songs they know and love, while casual Swifties should embrace the six “From The Vault” tracks that provide a new blast from Swift’s country-pop past.

A slew of bilingual tracks have impacted the charts over the past half-decade, with Spanish-language and English-language stars teaming up to collapse borders and target different demographics; J Balvin and Khalid follow this formula on “Otra Noche Sin Ti,” yet the pairing sounds especially dynamic. Balvin and Khalid both understand the power of a lovelorn croon, and as they sing about ruing “another night without you” in separate languages, their loneliness effectively transcends dialects.

Although “Shy Away” sounds like it was created by a completely different band than the duo who made hits like “Stressed Out” and “Heathens,” those who have been paying attention to Twenty One Pilots over the past few years, particularly their happy-go-lucky quarantine jam “Level Of Concern,” shouldn’t be shocked by the sunny bounce of their latest single. “Shy Away” rips into its hook with one eye fixed on alternative radio, and another on the arena shows that will no doubt be awaiting the group when the touring world opens back up.

“Every day a battle, I’m exhausted and I’m weary,” Chicago great Polo G admits on “Rapstar,” and he sounds like he means it, plowing through his similes and experiences with a head that hangs heavy thanks to newfound fame. Polo G remains one of the strongest storytellers in modern hip-hop, and even when his money-counting can’t provide a sense of peace, the results are often captivating for his listeners.

With “Set Him Up,” Queen Naija and Ari Lennox have combined and unleashed a gender-flipped “Same Girl” for a new generation. As they slowly realize that their boasts about their romantic exploits boil down to a shared man, Naija and Lennox gleefully allow the R&B song to morph around them, joining forces to get back at their guy and displaying their singular personas in the process.

From Publisher: Billboard

Apr 11, 202106:16
1 Music Video Inspired Billie Eilish to Become an Artist

1 Music Video Inspired Billie Eilish to Become an Artist

Billie Eilish is known for her striking music videos — and she wouldn’t be an artist if she didn’t see a striking music video when she was a child. After all, she revealed one music video inspired her to pursue a career in music. Here’s what the singer who inspired Eilish had to say about her.

This raises an interesting question: What does Aurora think of Eilish? “I think the world needs more artists who just do what they want,” Aurora told NME . “She uses her voice is such a cool way…. I will be listening to her more because she must be doing something right. The world seems to adore her right now because she’s really cool.”

Elsewhere in her interview with NME, Aurora discussed writing “Runaway.” “I wrote ‘Runaway’ when I was 11-years-old,” she revealed “It’s quite funny because the older I got, the more it made sense to me. It touched my heart, and now it reminds me of things that happened after I wrote it. It was kind of like a gift to myself.”

Aurora wrote the song in an hour on her piano during a quiet day where the weather was grey. Aurora recalls that day was neither hot nor cold. Because of that, she felt as if time was standing still.

The music video for “Runaway” had a major impact on Eilish — and Aurora discussed what it was like to make the video. “It was extremely cold,” she said. “I didn’t have a lot of clothes.” She had to wear lipstick for the shoot, which made her angry because wearing lipstick felt strange to her.

“Runaway” clearly meant a lot to Eilish. However, it didn’t seem to resonate with the American public. In fact, Aurora’s only song to chart is “Into the Unknown,” a song from Frozen II which reached No. 46 on the Billboard Hot 100 . However, “Runaway”’s parent album, All My Demons Greeting Me as a Friend fared somewhat better than “Runaway” itself, reaching No. 150 on the Billboard 200 for a week. “Runaway” didn’t become a chart success, however, it inspired Eilish to become a musician.

From Publisher: Showbiz Cheat Sheet

Apr 11, 202105:33
Justin Bieber Performs at LA Elementary School

Justin Bieber Performs at LA Elementary School

Justin Bieber  performed at a downtown LA elementary school on Thursday during Baby2Baby and Amazon’s welcome-back event, which Kelly Rowland  also attended.

Bieber performed “Intentions,” “Holy” and more singles from his Billboard 200 No. 1 albums  Changes and  Justice  in front of the young students of MacArthur Park Visual and Performing Arts Elementary.

“I was so proud to join @Baby2Baby and @Amazon to welcome students back to school after a year of learning remotely,” the “Motivation” singer wrote on her Instagram , garnering praise from Tina Lawson, Kerry Washington and more. “Thank you Amazon for helping us provide backpacks filled with hygiene items, face masks, hand sanitizer and school supplies as well as food, diapers, clothing and more to ensure that children and their families have the essentials they need to stay safe while at school and at home. Follow @Baby2Baby to keep up with their amazing COVID-19 relief work!”

California Governor Gavin Newsom said during a Tuesday press conference that he expects all K-12 California schools to open in the fall and resume in-person instruction Monday-Friday after a year of remote virtual learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Baby2Baby and Amazon’s star-studded welcome-back event comes three weeks after a survey showed parents of fewer than 1 in 3 students said they are ready to send their children back to Los Angeles school district campuses.

From Publisher: Billboard

Justin Bieber Bags Chart Double In Australia With ‘Peaches’ and ‘Justice’

Justin Bieber does the double in the Land Down Under for the very first time, as “Peaches” (Def Jam/Universal) climbs on the ARIA Singles Chart its parent Justice  starts a second non-consecutive week atop the national albums chart.

“Peaches” makes it to the top in its third week, and gives Bieber his fourth best-seller as a lead artist after “What Do You Mean?” (No. 1 September 2015), “Love Yourself” (No. 1, December 2015) and “I Don’t Care” with Ed Sheeran (No. 1 in May 2019).

With the ascent of “Peaches,” the unbroken reign of Glass Animals ’ “Heat Waves” (Polydor/Universal) ends at six weeks as it dips 1-2.

Apr 11, 202105:43
Beyonce and Solange True Hollywood Story

Beyonce and Solange True Hollywood Story

Before superstar sisters Beyoncé and Solange  embarked on their own successful careers, the younger Knowles tested the waters for herself while staying in the family business.

Billboard  is sharing an exclusive clip focusing on Beyoncé and Solange and how the latter was often overshadowed by the success of her big sister. While Beyoncé took flight with Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams in  Destiny’s Child , one of the best-selling girl groups of all time, she took Solange under her wing to become one of DC’s backup dancers.

“I remember meeting a young girl and I remember asking someone, ‘How is she here? She’s really young, she’s a kid.’ And one of the other dancers said, ‘That’s Beyoncé’s sister Solange,'” recalls choreographer Brian Friedman, who worked on Destiny’s Child’s “Survivor” performance at the 2001 Soul Train Awards, where they won the Sammy Davis Jr. Award for Entertainer of the Year – Female. (Coincidentally, Jay-Z  won the same award in the male category that night.)

“It was like, ‘Oh, OK, let’s see what she’s got.’ But Solange could dance. That was the thing. She was a talented girl who just so happened to be the little sister of a massive star.”

At age 14, Solange ended up replacing an injured Rowland when DC opened up for Christina Aguilera during her 2000 tour and began working on her debut album  Solo Star  after being signed to their father Mathew Knowles’ Music World Entertainment label with Columbia Records. The lead single “Feelin’ You (Part II),” featuring N.O.R.E. , ended up becoming her first hit on  Billboard ‘s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles Sales chart, reaching No. 3 in 2003.

Watch an exclusive clip of the “Star Sisters” episode before it airs Saturday at 11:00 p.m. ET on E! below.

From Publisher: Billboard

Teen-built robot Beyonce puts a ring on virtual robotics competition

While many spent the long weekend soaking up the sun, a team of high school students were hard at work at Vancouver Island Tech Park taking part in a virtual robotics competition against other teams from B.C. and Washington with their robot, Beyonce.

On April 3 the FIX IT Robotics team – a team of students from across Greater Victoria – began running matches with the robot they’ve been working on since September.

Together with their alliance partners who conferenced in virtually, the teens strategized, executed and uploaded their completed matches.

Ines Khouider, a Grade 12 student at St. Margaret’s school, has been a programmer on the FIX IT team for four years. She became interested in robots and engineering in middle school and “looked up to the older robotics kids” on the FIX IT team who ran workshops for younger students like herself. After learning that her high school didn’t have a robotics team, she joined the community team which, before the pandemic, met in the evenings at the Victoria Makerspace at the tech park.

The Saturday competition, the local FIRST Tech Challenge, was one in a series the team will take part in before the season champions are announced on May 15.

Apr 11, 202103:36
Gwen Stefani, Blake Shelton spotted shopping

Gwen Stefani, Blake Shelton spotted shopping

It’s not uncommon for shoppers at Round Top’s spring and fall antiques shows to see a celebrity or two. This year’s sightings included singer-songwriter Gwen Stefani.

She was spotted shopping at Marburger Farm Antique Show on Saturday and later that night she and fiance/country singer Blake Shelton, were at an Italian eatery owned by Houston restaurateur Armando Palacios and his wife, Cinda.

Stefani and Shelton announced their engagement last October and reportedly will marry this summer. The couple met when they both were coaches on NBC’s “The Voice” in 2015.

Instagram posts capture Stefani at various dealers’ booths as well as a photo shopping with her interior designer, Martyn Lawrence Bullard, who in the past has visited Round Top antiques shows both as a panel speaker and with clients. Bullard’s celebrity clientele includes Tommy Hilfiger, Ellen Pompeo and several in the Jenner-Kardashian family.

TV personality Carson Kressley, of Bravo’s long-running hit show “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy,” also posted his own Instagram photo — in jeans and a big ol’ turquoise belt buckle — from his recent visit to Round Top.

From Publisher: Houston Chronicle

Gwen Stefani recruits Saweetie for ‘Slow Clap’

The 51-year-old singer released a video Friday for a new version of her song “Slow Clap” featuring Saweetie. Advertisement

The video shows Stefani and Saweetie singing and dancing in a high school gym and locker room. The pair are joined by several backup dancers.

Stefani released the original version of “Slow Clap” in March. The song will appear on her forthcoming fifth studio album, Let Me Reintroduce Myself .

“Generally, I just wanted to make an album that was full of joy and hope. I think the one line in [‘Slow Clap’] is, ‘Are you rooting for me like I’m rooting for you?’ I feel like that was just kind of where I was at in that moment when I wrote the song,” she said.

“I’m still writing,” she added. “I think that’s what’s been really fun about this project, is to be able to drop singles and actually still be working on new music as I’m doing it.”

Apr 10, 202107:31
BTS Members Jimin and V

BTS Members Jimin and V

Jimin is outgoing and affectionate, while V is known for his creativity. Together, they make up the “95s” subunit of BTS , the group that created “Friends” off of Map of the Soul: 7.

Here’s what we know about these award-winning vocalists , and their compatibility for friendship.

These performers are award-winning artists and the only BTS members that are the same age. Born on Oct. 13, 1995, Jimin  is known for being social, while still being fair and diplomatic in relationships.

Born on Dec. 30, 1995, V is pretty grounded, but that doesn’t make him any less goal-oriented. It helps to explain more of the relationship between Jimin and V.

Although they work well together as performers, a relationship between these two aren’t without problems. When the BTS members had their Carpool Karaoke segment with James Corden, Suga revealed that Jimin and V are the two members most likely to argue.

From Publisher: Showbiz Cheat Sheet

K-pop Sensation BTS’s Newest Collab Is for Campers

Korean boy band sensation BTS is bringing their flair to the great outdoors, partnering with camping brand Helinox to release a new line of outdoor gear. Although the K-pop stars are no strangers to the world of collaboration, with past partnerships ranging from Hyundai to Coca-Cola, this is their very first one of this sort, marking their first foray into the world of furniture design.

The collaboration features an array of camping products, including a chair, convertible cot, foldable table, sacoche bag, gymsack, and name patch (prices range from $10 to $575). Crafted in Helinox’s signature lightweight fabric and presented in a vibrant purple, each item is subtly embossed in BTS-designed geometric patterns and logos.

While most of the pieces are camping-specific, the sacoche and gymsack are more versatile, just as useful on the street as in the mountains. Similarly, the printed fabric makes the collection ideal for both eccentric naturegoers and in-the-know fans. “With the BTS x Helinox collaboration, our goal was to create a unique design and collection that reflects how music and the outdoors bring people together, integrating a pattern of both outdoor and musical icons on a signature color,” says Azul Couzens, the VP of marketing at Helinox USA.

On April 7, the two Korean powerhouse brands released their collaboration at the Helinox Creative Center and flagship store in Seoul, South Korea . With the pop stars’ wide-reaching fan base of 39 million followers on Instagram, it’s no surprise that the limited stock is already selling out fast.

From Publisher: Architectural Digest

Apr 10, 202109:08
Kourtney Kardashian and Addison Rae

Kourtney Kardashian and Addison Rae

Scott Disick is fine with the idea of ex Kourtney Kardashian hooking up with TikTok star Addison Rae — even though the gal pals claim to be just friends.

“It’s OK if you are,” the “Flip It Like Disick” star, 37, assured Rae, 20, while having lunch with the Kardashian-Jenner clan in a sneak peek of Thursday’s episode of “Keeping Up With the Kardashians.”

Khloé Kardashian explained to viewers in a confessional that she had invited Rae to her family’s Malibu rental “without Kourtney” to “get to the bottom” of the pair’s blossoming friendship .

While the brood did not get the answer they seemingly hoped for, it appeared that Disick was following the breadcrumbs left by his and Kourtney’s son Mason. In a previous clip, the 11-year-old revealed that his mom and Rae “have sleepovers” together.

Fans have also had plenty to say about the unexpected friendship, prompting both Kourtney and Rae — who have a 21-year age gap — to defend hanging out so often.

From Publisher: Page Six

Kourtney Kardashian, Addison Rae’s Friendship Explained

Going strong! Kourtney Kardashian’s own family may question her friendship with Addison Rae , but the pair’s bond seems stronger than ever.

The TikTok star met the oldest Kardashian-Jenner sister in March 2020 through mutual friend David Dobrik , who was helping Kardashian’s son Mason get an account started on the popular app. “We surprised Mason, because Mason liked my videos on TikTok,” Rae told “The Tom Ward Show” in July 2020. “I kind of just stuck around and we got really close. We started working out together.”

One such workout became an instructional Poosh video that’s racked up more than 4.7 million views. The BFFs have since popped up in each other’s TikToks and Instagram photos.

Though the reality star seems to have a ton of fun with her younger friend, some critics have wondered why the mother of three has been spending so much time with a woman more than 20 years her junior. When one Instagram follower commented, “She’s 41 and hanging around with 19 year olds in swimming pools,” the Poosh founder replied , “Do you suggest a better place? I’m looking for ideas …”

Apr 09, 202107:40
Taylor Swift Fearless (Taylor’s Version)

Taylor Swift Fearless (Taylor’s Version)

The singer-songwriter, 31, on Friday dropped “Fearless (Taylor’s Version),” a newly-recorded version of her second studio album.

Originally released when Swift was 18 and centered in country music, the 2021 version was bound to include some “Changes.” Her voice has matured, which works on tracks like “White Horse” and “Fearless” but feels odd when she sings about high school on “Fifteen”. For the most part, though, the album’s essence is the same and the tweaks are fun reminders for longtime fans of how Swift has developed as an artist through the years.

“Taylor’s Version”, as Swift is calling it, is a make-good on her promise to rerecord her music from before her “Lover” album. In late summer 2019, shortly after Scooter Braun’s purchase of her masters ignited a public battle between the two and renewed debate over music ownership, Swift announced her plan to rerecord her first six studio albums in an effort to own her work, saying “I just think that artists deserve to own their work, I just feel very passionately about that” on “Good Morning America.” She started doing so in late 2020 and “Fearless” is the first of her versions to be released.

The new release gives fans 27 tracks: All the songs from the original and platinum edition, six previously unreleased tracks from the vault and a bonus song. We’ve listened and found the biggest differences between 2008’s “Fearless” and 2021’s “Fearless (Taylor’s Version).”

“Mr. Perfectly Fine” (a surprise release Wednesday) gives us “Forever and Always” vibes, which is probably why it was initially left on the cutting room floor. This one is vintage sentimental Taylor at its finest (as is other vault song “You All Over Me,” released in March) and we can’t stop belting out “It takes everything in me just to get up each day / But it’s wonderful to see that you’re OK.” It also includes the line “casually cruel,” seemingly a precursor to her greatest bridge of all time in 2012’s “All Too Well”?

Keith Urban’s appearance on “That’s When” and “We Were Happy” is a nice homage to the Fearless-era, when Swift was the opening act on Urban’s 2009 Escape Together tour (the pair was also featured on Tim McGraw’s 2013 song “Highway Don’t Care.”) But we probably could have done without those two, along with other vault song “Bye Bye Baby,” which are pretty forgettable compared the rest of Swift’s storied discography.

Of the from-the-vault songs, four are new releases on Friday. The best is “Don’t You,” a slow bop that sonically could have ended up on her “1989” album but lyrically sounds like if the main character of “Folklore”s “The 1” ran into her ex before going to therapy.

A big question heading into the rerecords: Would Swift, a Pennsylvania native who has since moved into the pop and indie spheres revive the country twang she used in her earlier work?

The answer, we’re thrilled to confirm, is yes. It isn’t as noticeable as the original and Swift has a more mature and slightly wider vocal range than she did as a teen, but the emphasis on the “r” in “Fearless” and some long, drawn out “I”s and “Y”s undeniably mark a return of yee-haw Taylor.

From Publisher: USA TODAY

Apr 09, 202105:28
Low-rise jeans fashion is back. Don’t panic

Low-rise jeans fashion is back. Don’t panic

Millennials are terrified of the return of low-rise jeans and Y2K fashion. But what if they looked different this time around?

Some time ago (as in, before pants made out of denim ceased to be part of our day-to-day wardrobes) I made a bet with a friend who said that she’d never wear low-rise jeans again. There were whispers going around that the most maligned item of mid-aughts clothing was starting to pop up on Bella Hadid, fashion show runways, and cool young people in places like downtown Manhattan — basically the trifecta of “things that are going to become a Thing.”

Enter: high-rise jeans, which come with their very own girdle in the form of thick, stretchy denim pressed against our stomachs, and land at or above the natural waist. The 2010s were a magical time for those of us who relish the feeling of being sucked and squeezed into our clothing, and although not always objectively comfortable , per se, they offered their own sort of comfort to people who might have previously been pants-resistant. “Low-rise pants are walking billboards for extreme thinness and androgynous frames,” wrote Rachel Syme in an ode to high-waisted pants in the New Yorker in 2019, “but high-rise styles can conform to bodies of all shapes and sizes. They not only highlight hips and butts — they demand them.”

The mainstreaming of the high waist has been a balm for many women who never wish to go back to a time when one was constantly at risk for exposing their ass crack. There are innumerable posts on Instagram and TikTok devoted to showcasing the superiority of high-waisted bottoms, which often hold in the stomach and accentuate the smallest part of the body, with side-by-side images — one with an hourglass-like figure inside a pair of high-rise leggings, another that invoked the most insidious term from the year 2003, the “muffin top.”

Cultural discourse around female bodies has always been inseparable from clothing, and when we talk about low-rise jeans, it’s obvious that we’re talking about more than pants. It’s now a popular TikTok trend to note how in the 2000s, “women’s bodies were the fashion, not the clothes” (to the extent that this is all that different today is worth questioning, but at the very least it is now considered crass to publicly ridicule a woman’s body when she dares to leave her home). Recall any red carpet image from the 1990s to the late aughts, when jeans were at their lowest and crop tops were really more like bralettes, items for which a flat stomach has often been an unspoken requirement. Those who failed to fit the ideal body type — which Simpson, along with almost every tabloid staple, did at one point or another — were punished.

We have social media and the relative democratization of cultural influence to thank for spreading the idea that perhaps it was a bad thing for women and girls to despise their bodies 99 percent of the time. Via the internet, groups of curvy and fat women could connect, share their stories, trade styling tips, and start the seedlings of what’s since become the huge swath of social media devoted to “body positivity .” It’s also social media that helped us view celebrities more like our own friends rather than out-of-touch elitists, meaning that the snarky tabloid talk scrutinizing famous womens’ bodies was no longer acceptable to fans who’d started to see them as human.

So it isn’t entirely mysterious as to why women, especially those who are now in their 20s and 30s, have long been terrified that low-rise jeans and the culture surrounding them could once again become our reality. “If you were anything above a size 2, you were fat. Millennial women learned that through their most formative years, when they were children and teenagers … they see this trend come back and it’s a trigger,” explains one TikToker in a video with more than 350,000 “Likes.”

Apr 09, 202114:59
Demi Rose Looks Cold With Barely Anything On

Demi Rose Looks Cold With Barely Anything On

Demi Rose is ditching the bra and the shirt, seemingly also any other form of underwear as she wears only a silky skirt and heels to promote clothing brand Pretty Little Thing . The 26-year-old British model got Wednesday off to a bang, posting another bombshell Instagram shot as she flaunted her famous curves, with the post also earning the star some cash. Demi, who has fronted affordable label PLT since October 2020, was proving just why the brand picked her – check it out below.

Scroll for the photo. It comes as Demi makes headlines for asking fans to “peep” the dude in the back as her Easter bunny bikini photos included a rather unusual and joyful-looking male bystander. While that photo was a 2019 throwback from the Brit’s California travels, today’s one was fresh.

The snap, tasteful as ever despite the amount of skin on show, showed Demi posing indoors and on a fluffy white rug amid wood paneling, with the model showing off her new ginger-blonde locks.

Shot in profile and teasing her massive assets as she rocked a bare back, Demi highlighted her famous apple bottom in a cinched-waist and light tan skirt, one that was dangerously slit at the hip and came undies-free. The model also wore sexy matching tan stilettos, posing with a fierce gaze as she showed off highlighted cheeks and thick brows.

Demi once came as a Fashion Nova face, with regular shout-outs coming to the brand fronted by “WAP” rapper Cardi B, Aussie Iggy Azalea, plus model Blac Chyna. In October of last year, Demi ceased her promos for the king-pin of cheap clothing, seemingly more tempted by the ambassador status at PLT. Pretty Little Thing, which boasts collabs with singer Doja Cat and model Jordyn Woods , has since upgraded Demi’s promo status. In December 2020, Rose released her own edit with the label.

From Publisher: The Blast

Just a silk skirt, elegant Demi Rose models her charms

The beautiful british model Demi Rose has once again surprised her audience and this time she was only wearing a silk skirt to pose elegant and beautiful in front of the professional camera with which she was captured.

In the Photography What stands out the most is her beautiful silhouette that was with her back to the lens and posing on one of her knees while with one foot she stepped on fruit with and the other rested on a carpet that looks quite comfortable in the background a wooden closet that works perfectly to bring out the colors of the young british .

Apr 09, 202103:15
Andrea Bocelli is coming

Andrea Bocelli is coming

The tour will begin on Oct. 13. in Milwaukee and make its way to the Allstate Arena the following day. This tour will also be Bocelli’s first time performing in Kansas City and St. Louis.

Bocelli’s “Believe” album, which was released in November 2020, includes “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” “Hallelujah” and many more songs.

The Andrea Bocelli Foundation and the tour has partnered with PLUS1 to empower communities struggling with poverty, illiteracy, social exclusion and illness by donating $1 for every ticket sold.

Bocelli tested positive for COVID-19 in March 2020, but had a “swift and full recovery” and shared the news with fans a few months later.

“The pandemic which has shaken the world has also affected — albeit mildly — me and certain members of my family,” Bocelli’s statement read. “I certainly didn’t want to unnecessarily alarm my fans and also wished to protect my family’s privacy.”

From Publisher: chicagotribune.com

Italian opera star hits the high notes in world-first AlUla concert

Italian opera tenor Andrea Bocelli enchanted an audience in AlUla on Thursday in what is believed to be the first-ever performance within the walls of the ancient desert city.

In his third performance in the Kingdom, Bocelli serenaded a limited number of concert-goers at the heritage site due to social distancing measures, but the concert was no less mesmerising than his previous shows at Maraya Concert Hall as part of the Winter at Tantora Festival.

The biggest surprise of the evening was the tenor’s 9-year-old daughter Virginia Bocelli, making a Middle East debut with her father on the stage playing the guitar and singing the lyrics the iconic Leonard Cohen song “Hallelujah”.

The master tenor delivered a stripped- back set with musicians from the Arabian Philharmonic, and special guests Loren Allred, Matteo Bocelli, soprano Francesca Maionchi and Eugene Kohn at the piano.

The spectacular backdrop to the concert and the response of the audience left him eager to perform in other Saudi cities.

“It is rare to perceive such a strong empathy such as that experienced in your land,” Bocelli told Arab News.

Bocelli’s performance to fewer than 300 people is believed to be the first within the walls of the ancient desert city of Hegra.

Apr 09, 202103:48
Britney Spears’ Clothing Haul Reels 

Britney Spears’ Clothing Haul Reels 

It’s Britney babe! Britney Spears , who typically posts somewhat blurry, highly edited or cryptic pictures, upped her Instagram game on Wednesday, April 8.

The 39-year-old pop singer, who was the subject of Framing Britney Spears , posted a new video to show off a few of her favorite fashion looks, which went way beyond her oft-worn peasant blouse . And damn – not only were her transitions top notch, but the star proved she’s got some serious style!

“ I found my cat suit  … No luck finding my mask but at least I found my body  !!!! Stay joyful my friends and do what makes you happy by darn it !!!! God bless ,” the “Circus” singer captioned the post, which she shared with her 29.2 million followers.

In the high-quality clip, which was played to the beat of Pharell’s “Happy,” Spears rocks a total of 4 different looks ranging from downright sexy and scandalous to classic ‘90s.

For her first outfit, Spears slipped into an itty-bitty green mini skirt, white turtleneck and leather jacket with fur trimming. She accessorized the look with white high socks and rhinestone-embellished boots.

If you ask Us , the next look was hands-down the star of the show. The “Toxic” vocalist, who shares sons Sean Preston and Jayden James with ex-husband Kevin Federline, slipped into a very sexy leotard, or as she calls it, a “catsuit.”

Dressed in the skin-tight and see-through number, Spears gave viewers a little “meow” before swiping the camera up to her next look, which was by far the most tried and true Britney Spears ensemble we’ve ever seen.

Wearing little low-rise white shorts and cropped peasant style blouse that showed off her taught tummy, the star did a catwalk down her balcony. She quickly tossed to her next and final look, a pink floral mini with puff sleeves.

Like most of Spears’ Instagram posts, the video blew up, attracting more than 900,000 likes and 18,000 comments in under 24 hours. Both the Britney Army and those active in the #FreeBritney movement made sure to call out how the post was a departure from her typically less-produced posts.

From Publisher: Us Weekly

20 years before #FreeBritney, a revealing Britney Spears doc

The first time director Judy Hoffman goes in for a superstar close-up of Britney Spears in the rarely circulated 2002 documentary “Stages: Three Days in Mexico,” the performer is soldiering through yet another photo scrum in what was, already, a long, wearying line of press “events,” this time in a Mexico City Four Seasons banquet hall.

Bright, cold red, white and blue illumination from Pepsi’s sponsor signage provides the background, while a wall of flashbulbs lights up the foreground. Spears, then 20 and at the end of a grueling world tour, smiles and holds it, just as filmmaker Hoffman, who teaches film studies at the University of Chicago, and her legendary cinematographer, documentary pioneer Albert Maysles, hold the shot just long enough for a question to form in the viewer’s mind: How long has this hard-working, indelible pop export, this culturally necessary boy-band antidote, held that smile, exactly? A minute? An entire world tour?

Apr 08, 202112:33
IU's 'Lilac' Tops K-Pop Hot 100 Chart

IU's 'Lilac' Tops K-Pop Hot 100 Chart

IU’s “Lilac” rules the Billboard K-Pop 100 chart, becoming the K-pop queen’s fifth leader on the list.

Upon the track’s rise to the top, IU dominates the chart with seven top 10s this week, breaking the last year’s record of five hits by BTS on the chart dated Feb. 29 and setting the new record high for the most simultaneous top 10s.

Pre-released on Jan. 27, “Celebrity” manages to hold its spot at No. 2 after staying atop for seven weeks. Other tracks including “Coin,” “Hi Spring Bye” and “Flu” are ranked at No. 4, 5 and 6 respectively, while “Troll” and “My Sea” are nested at No. 9 and 10.

The rest of the top 10 spots are filled by Brave Girls, BTS and Rose. Brave Girls’ “Rollin’” falls to No. 3 after leading the chart for the past two weeks, while BTS’s “Dynamite” takes No. 7 followed by Rose’s “On The Ground” at No. 8.

As IU adds six new top 10s this week, she has reached her career record of 14, surpassing BTS’ Suga’s record of ten for the most top 10 hits.

Her triumph does not stop here; “Not Spring, Love, or Cherry Blossoms” re-enters the chart, making it her 19th track on the list this week and breaking the record of the most simultaneous entries, which she held with 18 total tracks in the previous week.

The Billboard K-Pop 100 measures multi-metric consumption including streaming, digital sales, radio and television data to present the most popular K-Pop songs in South Korea every week.

From Publisher: Billboard

K-pop Songstress IU Dominates Music Charts with New, Old Songs

K-pop songstress IU has swept major music charts here with her latest album and past releases, landing more than 15 songs in the top 100 simultaneously.

The 28-year-old soloist placed 16 songs in the top 100 on the latest daily music charts by streaming services Melon and Genie Music, refreshed Saturday, including all 10 tracks of her new album “Lilac.”

“Lilac,” the main track of her new studio album also titled “Lilac,” topped both charts, followed by the pre-released “Celebrity” at No. 3. “Coin,” “Hi Spring Bye” and “Flu,” all from her fifth studio album, claimed top 10 spots on both charts as well.

“Hold My Hand,” the singer’s first self-written song released in 2011 , came in at No. 7 and No. 11 on the Melon and Genie Music charts, respectively.

The high-profile 2020 collaboration between the K-pop queen and BTS’ Suga, “Eight,” ranked No. 20 on the charts, almost one year after its release.

On the Melon chart, even her 2014 spring number “Not Spring, Love, or Cherry Blossoms” ranked at 89th place.

This photo, provided by EDAM Entertainment, shows a promotional image for the singer IU’s album “Lilac” released on March 25, 2021.

Pop culture experts say the dominance of a single musician’s past and present hits on music charts is notable, even compared to popular K-pop boy and girl groups’ success on music charts.

From Publisher: Be Korea-savvy

Apr 08, 202107:14
Blackpink’s Rosé Heals a Broken Heart

Blackpink’s Rosé Heals a Broken Heart

Blackpink member Rosé has released the video for her solo single, “Gone,” which she first shared last month.

The clip shows the South Korean singer mourning the loss of a relationship in an elaborately decorated old house. In various scenes, Rosé poses with gorgeous blue flowers, throws feathery pillows around the room in frustration, and cries against a bathtub. The video’s happier moments are interspersed with sadder scenes, where the house’s furniture is covered in tarp and Rosé is throwing out old picture frames.

“Gone” is featured on Rosé’s debut solo project  R , which also includes the track “On the Ground.” In an interview for Rolling Stone ‘s The First Time , she described how she “hadn’t heard a song like that before” when her producer showed her the backing track for “On the Ground.”

“I didn’t expect to hear a song like that because every song that we get or begin with doesn’t have these kinds of messages in it. For us, it was kind of like, I think this song kinda speaks our mind.”

From Publisher: Rolling Stone

Blackpink’s Debut Album Is The First By A Korean Girl Group To Spend Half A Year On The Billboard

Even before they released an album, Blackpink worked their way up to the top, establishing themselves as not only one of the most exciting musical acts to emerge from South Korea, but one of the most popular and bestselling girl groups in the world. When the time finally did come to drop a complete project, the band made history on charts seemingly everywhere, and now, months after it first arrived, the set is still going strong in the largest music market in the world.

This week, Blackpink’s debut full-length The Album falls 20 spaces on the Billboard 200, dipping from No. 160 to No. 180.

The longest-charting albums by any South Korean musical act (which in this specific instance just means BTS) are Love Yourself: Answer (98 weeks), Map of the Soul: 7 (58 weeks), Love Yourself: Her (44 weeks) and Map of the Soul: Persona (35 weeks).

The Album narrowly missed out on becoming a leader when it debuted last fall, as it opened at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. That still makes it by far the highest-charting effort by a South Korean girl group, and it gave the quartet their third placement on the tally, which still stands as the most among all-female vocal troupes from the Asian country.

Apr 07, 202106:03
Sanya Malhotra’s five-year trajectory is unprecedented in an industry not always welcoming

Sanya Malhotra’s five-year trajectory is unprecedented in an industry not always welcoming

From Dangal to Pagglait, every role is a challenge, every part is fresh, and doing things the easy way seems to be an alien concept.

In an interview a couple of years ago, Sanya Malhotra told me that the most adventurous thing she has ever done was riding a 350cc Bullet from Manali to Leh. Many might disagree with her on that one though, because her career has been nothing if not adventurous.

It has not been easy for the 29-year-old though. Having trained in contemporary dance and ballet, Malhotra moved from New Delhi to Mumbai after finishing college in order to participate in reality show Dance India Dance . And while she did not make it past the Top 100, she stayed back in the city of dreams chasing her own ambitions of making it as an actor. What followed was the rigour of the audition circuit and a few small gigs in commercials, both in front of the camera and also assisting behind the scenes.

Having shared screen space with another female actor in her first two films, Malhotra’s first leading lady role came about a few months later with Badhaai Ho , one of the top grossing films of 2018. It is probably her safest role to date, playing the supportive girlfriend to Ayushmann Khurrana’s character in a film that really was hijacked by its older cast (Neena Gupta, Gajraj Rao, and Surekha Sikri). It is easy, after all, to build a successful résumé by picking up the heroine roles in films dominated by other people – it is something most of our leading ladies in the past would do. Not so much for this generation though, as evidenced by young Malhotra. Not only did she hold her own amongst the seasoned cast of Badhaai Ho , she followed it up with what is arguably her most solid performance till date.

The Lunchbox director Ritesh Batra’s Photograph (2019) was the first film Malhotra had signed after Dangal , though it ended up getting made and released only a couple of years later. The intimate story of an unlikely couple finding each other amidst the chaos that is Mumbai, made waves at the Sundance Film Festival that year. More than the film though, it was the then-27-year-old Malhotra who caught the attention of the international film fraternity. So much did she impress with her performance as the fake fiancée of a struggling street photographer Rafi (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) that The Hollywood Reporter named her as one of the five breakout talents to watch out for at the Berlin Film Festival.

It is this drive to keep learning new things that has pushed Malhotra to foray into unfamiliar territory with every role that she picks. 2020 saw her in a couple of streaming releases. True to form, her roles in the two films are like chalk and cheese. In Ludo , she plays a young woman desperate to marry a rich man, and her on-screen chemistry with Aditya Roy Kapur hogged paragraphs in every review of the film. In Shakuntala Devi , she plays the role of the disillusioned daughter, and brings a certain amount of nuance to that troubled relationship between mother and daughter.

“It’s a very complex character,” says Sanya Malhotra about Sandhya, from her upcoming film Pagglait, which premieres on Netflix on 26 March.

From Publisher: Firstpost

Apr 07, 202111:00
Justin Bieber and others to gain in HYBE Deal for Ithaca Holdings

Justin Bieber and others to gain in HYBE Deal for Ithaca Holdings

This isn’t the first time  artists have received shares from  HYBE .   When  the company   went public last October on the Korean stock exchange,  the seven members of  BTS  each  got shares valued at $8 million .  But sources say the equity being awarded to Ithaca’s  artists  is coming out of Braun’s stake.

HYBE, the company behind powerhouse K-pop group BTS, said Friday (April 2) that it would  pay cash and shares to acquire  Ithaca Holdings ,  in a move   designed to help the  Korean company  establish a strong U.S. presence in music and entertainment.

In February, HYBE and Universal announced the Korean company would  create  a joint label with Geffen Records and co-produce an  American Idol -like show to search for the next global K-pop boy band .  The new label will be run out of Los Angeles, where HYBE plans to open a newly expanded  U.S.  office later this year .

From Publisher: Billboard

Justin Bieber’s ‘Justice’ Presents a Consistent Spiritual Message

The cover of Justin Bieber’s sixth studio album “Justice” shows the pop singer crouched in a highway tunnel. The deluxe version of the album, released March 26, features 22 songs and includes collaborations with Khalid, Daniel Caesar, Quavo and many others.

Justin Bieber’s sixth studio album, “ Justice ,” is a reflective pop album that finds Bieber at a variety of moods and production styles.

The 27-year-old pop icon released the album March 19 under Def Jam Recordings , followed by a deluxe version with six additional tracks just a week later. “Justice: Triple Chucks Deluxe” weighs in at a hearty 22 songs, providing listeners just over an hour of music, compared to 16 tracks on the original.

Bieber’s sound is hard to nail down on this album. The music on “Justice” ranges from Christian-inspired ballads, true-to-form Bieber pop anthems, Afro-pop dancehall bops and radio-friendly hip-hop tracks, featuring everyone from Tori Kelly to Skrillex to DaBaby . While many of the collaborations are fun and dynamic, the mood of the album shifts so drastically from track to track that “Justice” as a whole feels disjointed to listeners.

The cover artwork for Bieber’s single, “Anyone,” from his new album, “Justice,” features Bieber laying down exhausted after a boxing match. In the song, Bieber asserted his love for his wife, Hailey Baldwin Bieber, who he married in 2018.

According to Bieber, there are a few reasons why this album is called “Justice.” In an interview with Vogue, Bieber shared that his first name “Justin” actually means “justice” in Latin, which he felt was an appropriate album title in a year filled with so much pain and racial discrimination. For these reasons, Bieber said he decided to include two Martin Luther King Jr. sound bites in the record.

It seems like Bieber’s decision to include the MLK snippets came from an earnest place. In an interview with the Zach Sang Show , Bieber said his reasoning for including the sound bites was that he wanted to amplify King’s voice to his younger audience. However, because King’s words are lacking context and do not relate to the subject matter of the rest of the record, their inclusion feels performative at best and inconsistent with “Justice” as a whole.

Apr 07, 202109:08
BTS Inkbox Tattoo Collection 2021

BTS Inkbox Tattoo Collection 2021

Eleven temporary individual tattoos will be released as part of the collection, and fans will easily be able to identify elements from “Dynamite’s” music video and single artwork, from the BTS members’ silhouettes, to retro flowers and shooting stars. Every order of the tattoos will also include one of three collectible 8 x 10-inch prints and special BTS packaging.

The semi-permanent tattoos mimic the appearance and feel of a genuine tattoo, and Inkbox says the tattoos can stay visible for up to two weeks. The company says the tattoos are skin-safe, waterproof, and cruelty-free, “creating a safe, unique way to express oneself.”

“Inking a deal with a partner as iconic as BTS is incredibly exciting for the Inkbox community,” Inkbox CEO and Co-founder, Tyler Handley tells Rolling Stone . “Our brand is all about self-expression and inclusivity, and we think BTS celebrates those same values—making this the perfect mash-up for our customers.”

From Publisher: Rolling Stone

John Cena hails BTS for helping him navigate ‘vulnerable moment’

John Cena has heaped praise on BTS fans, thanking them for helping him through his ‘vulnerable moment’.

The Hollywood star posted an inspiring statement from his self-help book and the statement caught the attention of fans, as it coincided with the BTS album ‘Love Yourself’.

He said on ‘The Ellen DeGeneres Show’: “The very popular group, BTS, had just released an album called, ‘Love Yourself’.

He explained: “These books exist because the Army was brave enough – the BTS Army – was brave enough to support my vulnerable moment and now it’s become a part of my daily routine.”

The actor – who married his second wife, Shay Shariatzadeh, last year – said: “I really gotta thank K-pop, I gotta thank BTS for supporting me in a moment of weakness and turning it into a passion of mine.”

From Publisher: Crow River Media

Apr 07, 202111:15
Taylor Swift’s Mr Perfectly Fine

Taylor Swift’s Mr Perfectly Fine

Taylor Swift  unleashed her latest “From the Vault” gem on Wednesday (April 7), and though it’s called “Mr. Perfectly Fine (Taylor’s Version),” trust her when she says things are not.

“Hello Mr. Perfectly Fine/ How’s your heart after breaking mine?/ Mr. always at the right place at the right time, baby,” she sings over the dreamy, mid-tempo acoustic track, “Hello, Mr. casually cruel/ Mr. everything revolves around you/ I’ve been Miss misery since your goodbye/ And you’re Mr. Perfectly Fine.”

She’s not wrong. After releasing the character-driven  Folklore  and  Evermore  pandemic albums last year, in which the singer took on other people’s stories, “Mr. Perfectly Fine” sounds like a classic  Fearless -era Taylor tale of romantic woe. Describing the guy as “Mr. Perfect Face,” “Mr. Here to stay” and “Mr. Looked me in the eye and told me you would never go away,” in the first verse, Taylor paints a portrait of a man who says all the rights things at the right time, before she gets to know “Mr. Change of heart,” right before he breaks hers.

The new song goes on to reveal that this Mr., of course, has his “arm ’round a brand-new girl,” and though she was willing to stick it out, she predicts he’ll miss her some day and then, well, he’ll be “Mr. Too late.”

Over the weekend, Swift sent fans down the rabbit hole with a scavenger hunt that she promised would require “expert” level decoding. “The vault door is about to be as unhinged as you’ll think I am after you watch this video,” Swift wrote. Before “Mr.” Swift had only released one song in her “From the Vault” series, “You All Over Me,” featuring  Maren Morris , which is part of the upcoming re-recorded version of her 2008 album  Fearless , due out this Friday (April 9) with  six never-before-released songs .

From Publisher: Billboard

Apr 07, 202105:34