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Amanda Seyfried Says Ariana Grande Was ‘Meant to Be’ Glinda in ‘Wicked’

Ariana Grande has brought the magic to Wicked as Glinda the Good Witch — and even snagged a Golden Globe nomination for her performance. One person who is particularly happy for her is Amanda Seyfried, who also auditioned for the coveted role.

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The actress told People in a new interview that she thought the film was “fantastic,” adding, “It’s an extravaganza, which is what [Grande] does really well. And [my kids] have been playing the soundtrack nonstop. And everything is as it’s meant to be for sure.”

Seyfried previously opened up about auditioning for the role of Glinda. “I have dreams that I’m still auditioning for Wicked,” she said in a 2022 interview with Backstage. In fact, she auditioned for the role while filming the popular Hulu series The Dropout. “On the weekends I was auditioning in person to play Glinda in the movie version of Wicked—because I wanted it that much that I was like, “You know what? Yeah, I have to play the last scene of The Dropout on Tuesday. I’ll give my Sunday to you.’ I literally bent over backwards while playing the hardest role of my life,” she said.

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She also discussed what she learned from the experience. “I think it also taught me how far I’ve come as a singer, which I really wanted to prove. Because ever since Les Miz, I was like, I need to be better. I need to do better. So whatever comes next in terms of musicals, I’m finally prepared.”

Sexyy Red Talks Through Her New Lip Gloss Line | Rolling Loud Miami 2024

We caught up with Sexyy Red at Rolling Loud Miami 2024 and she talks us through her passion for lip gloss, her new line of gloss and more!

Meghan Mahar:

Hey, Billboard, it’s Megan Mahar, and I’m here with Big Sexyy at Rolling Loud. Sexyy Red, how are you doing? 

Sexyy Red: I’m doing awesome. How you doing? 

I’m doing even better now because I’m about to put on some gloss with you. Sexyy’s selling NORTHSIDE PRINCESS makeup and this Sexyy gloss. So we’re gonna talk through all these. Sexyy, what was the inspiration behind the gloss?

I love lip gloss, and it makes me feel like a baddie when I put it on. So I’m like, I want to make everybody else feel cute. And then I started it way before this rap sh*t, I been had the lip gloss going, you know what I’m saying, been doing this s—, St. Louis. 

And it’s a great gloss, honestly, do you want to talk us through what some of the names are here?

Yes, I can. It’s eight flavors, as you can see. So the clear flavor is CoochieJuice. I have a brown flavor that’s like, like, it’s like, gold glitter, not gold glitter, but like, brown gold glitter. It’s cute, like a bronze that’s what it is. It’s called Bootyh0leBrown. I got a white kind that look like nut on your lips. Um, I got a pink kind called P—yholePink. I got a yellow kind with yellow glitter and gold glitter called YellowDischarge. I got a green one for Gonorrhea. It’s called Gonorrhea. It’s green and it’s cute. Shine real good on the lips. BlueBallz is one of my favorites, and SexOnMyPeriod is another one of my favorites.

Keep watching for more!

Lionel Messi-Inspired Animated Series Is Coming to Disney Channel

A Lionel Messi-inspired animated series will soon premiere on Disney Channel after Disney Branded Television acquired Messi and the Giants from Sony Music Vision and Sony Pictures Television – Kids, Billboard has learned. 

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The sci-fi animated show follows a 12-year-old boy named Leo, who is transported from his home in Argentina into an alternate universe. The series will demonstrate how the character faces adversity, builds a team, and discovers how to become a hero. 

“I always dreamed of being involved in a project that would share the values of sports, the very same values that have been so important to my career, with younger generations,” Messi expressed in a press release. “Nothing truly is impossible with teamwork, perseverance, discipline, and hard work. I look forward to sharing this series with kids around the world, and I hope I will inspire them and motivate them to achieve their own dreams. Ever since I was a kid, I always loved animated series, and I look forward to watching this series with my own kids.” 

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Each episode of Messi and the Giants is 22-minutes long and will premiere on Disney Channel, followed by Disney Channel On Demand and globally on DIsney+, and will be available in English, Spanish and other languages.  

Messi and the Giants Disney

Messi and the Giants

Disney

“Football — or soccer as we call it in the United States — is the world’s most beloved sport, uniting and captivating millions of fans of all ages,” noted Ayo Davis, president, Disney Branded Television. “We are proud to work with Lionel Messi and Sony Pictures Television to bring ‘Messi and the Giants’ to our passionate, global kids’ audience. We know that its themes of family, friendship, and teamwork will resonate with not only football enthusiasts but everyone everywhere who loves a great story.” 

“It’s been a privilege to team with Leo and our colleagues at Sony Music on this first-time collaboration,” Joe D’Ambrosia, EVP and general manager, Sony Pictures Television – Kids added. “We’re thrilled that Disney is giving a global platform to this fun take on a classic tale and look forward to launching a global consumer products and branded partnerships program alongside the show’s debut.” 

“There is an incredible team all working together on this project, with Leo’s magic as the inspiration behind it all,” said Afo Verde, Chairman & CEO, Sony Music Latin Iberia. “We are thrilled that Disney has now joined our roster to help bring this imaginative series to audiences and inspire fans all around the world.” 

To date, Messi is the only athlete in the world to win eight Ballon d’Or Awards and six Golden Boots. In July, he joined the MLS team Inter Miami. 

Guy Toubes will serve as executive producer, and Atlantis Animation, and director Dan Creteur will serve as the show’s animation studio. The series was developed by Toubes and Creteur under the creative direction of Sony Music Vision and SPT – Kids, in partnership with Messi.

André 3000 Reflects on Working With Beyoncé: ‘We Have a Kinship’

André 3000 and Beyoncé have teamed up for collaborations in the past and he even named a song after Queen Bey on his New Blue Sun album.

The Hollywood Reporter caught up with Three Stacks on Monday (Dec. 16) for a rare sit-down interview, where he reflected on working with the pop icon.

“Really just being excited about working together because we performed together during the ‘Hey Ya!’ times in England [in 2003],” the Outkast legend recalled. “That was some of the first times I’ve met her, so being able to record, I think we’ve always had respect for each other and been fans.

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He continued: “To be reached out by Beyoncé, ‘Hey, can you get on this song?’ I’m like, ‘Hell, yeah, you know I’m with it.’ Yeah, it was a cool musical family thing. I think people from a certain era, we have a kinship.”

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Three Stacks and Bey joined forces for “Back to Black” from The Great Gatsby soundtrack in 2013 and “Party” a couple of years prior. He detailed the vision of naming his “Ninety Three ‘Til Infinity And Beyoncé” after the Houston-bred music deity.

“The title was really a play on words, just referencing things that I was into,” he began. “Souls of Mischief, one of their most famous songs was called ’93 ‘Til Infinity,’ and that’s when I was coming out of high school. That was one of my favorite rap tracks. Then I thought it was funny to put that together with a Toy Story proclamation, ‘Until infinity and beyond.’”

Dre even received Jay-Z and Bey’s blessing: “That was a thing that the character would say in the movie, and I would say, “Why not Beyoncé?” It was funny; it was a play on pop culture stuff. I reached out to Jay-Z and Beyoncé and asked if it was cool. She’s like, ‘Yeah.’ So I was happy.”

Elsewhere in the interview, André 3000 voiced his frustration with the media continuously referring to New Blue Sun, which is nominated for album of the year, best alternative jazz album and best instrumental composition at the 2025 Grammy Awards, as a “flute album.”

“The media has touted it as this flute album and I think it’s a misrepresentation of the album,” he said. “It’s way more than a flute album. They belittle it by calling it a flute album because there are actual flutists that have made flute albums, like Jethro Tull and Paul Horn. I think it could be a turnoff to some people if they think, ‘Yo, he’s just in a room playing this flute.’”

Dying Fetus & Cradle of Filth Lead Chaos & Carnage Tour

The extreme metal tour Chaos & Carnage has returned for its sixth year on the road with veteran death metal outfit Dying Fetus leading the 16-date tour of clubs and theaters alongside longtime British metalheads Cradle of Filth.

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Both bands have long been staples of the black metal and grindcore scenes dating back to the early 1990s, and Chaos & Carnage is a touring project created by industry veterans Jason Malhoyt of Imperial Artist Management and agent JJ Cassiere, who launched indie booking agency 33 And West in 2018.

Dying Fetus and Cradle of Filth are joined on the 2025 Chaos & Carnage Tour by five support acts, including Italian symphonic death metal outfit Fleshgod Apocalypse, Australian progressive metal six piece Ne Obliviscaris, New York metal group Undeath along with newcomers Vomit Forth and Corpse Pile.

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Originally launched in 2018, Chaos & Carnage is slated to play its sixth tour this year as a showcase for the elite of heavy metal and black metal, with past headliners including Whitechapel, Carnifex, Suicide Silence, Cattle Decapitation, Lorna Shore, Humanity’s Last Breath and more.

Tickets go on sale Friday, Dec. 20, at 10 a.m. local time. VIP upgrades are available Monday, Jan. 6, at 10 a.m. local time, exclusively at ChaosAndCarnage.com.

Chaos & Carnage 2025 Tour Dates are below:

April 17 – Berkeley, CA @ UC Theatre
April 19 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern
April 20 – Phoenix, AZ @ The Van Buren
April 22 – Albuquerque, NM @ El Rey Theater 04/24 Dallas, TX @ Granada Theater
April 26 – San Antonio, TX @ Vibes Event Center 04/27 Houston, TX @ House of Blues
April 29 – Nashville, TN @ Brooklyn Bowl
May 1 – New York, NY @ Palladium Times Square 05/02 Richmond, VA @ The National
May 3 – Reading, PA @ Reverb
May 4 – Worcester, MA @ The Palladium
May 6 – Montreal, QC CAN @ L’Olympia
May 7 – Toronto, ONT CAN @ Rebel
May 8 – Pontiac, MI @ The Crofoot
May 9 – Chicago, IL @ Radius
May 10 – Des Moines, IA @ Val Air Ballroom
May 12 – Wichita, KS @ Temple Live
May 14 – Denver, CO @ Fillmore Auditorium

Chaos & Carnage 2025

Cyanhill Music & DJ ZHANGYE Bring the ‘CHINA EDM Vol.1’ Compilation to Amsterdam’s Escape deLux Nightclub

In the world of electronic dance music, the West has long led the way with its frequent collaborations, driving technical advancements and making electronic music culture popular worldwide. Inspired by Western electronic music culture, ZHANGYE, in collaboration with Cyanhill Music, has created the CHINA EDM Vol.1 compilation, marking a new chapter in Chinese electronic dance music.

This compilation features not only exclusive tracks from top producers such as BEAUZ, CORSAK, Panta.Q, and WILLIM, but also selects other tracks from hundreds of contributors, showcasing the diversity and vitality of Chinese electronic music.

The release of the CHINA EDM Vol.1 compilation is not only a summary of the development of Chinese electronic dance music, but also a new beginning. Crafted to international standards, it aims to promote the works of outstanding Chinese producers on the world stage. On Nov. 29, this musical feast was spectacularly staged at the Escape deLux nightclub in Amsterdam, Netherlands, under the theme of “CHINA EDM NIGHT,” marking a significant step in the global journey of Chinese electronic music.

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“CHINA EDM NIGHT” was an unprecedented performance featuring “Beats from the East,” bringing the rhythm of the Orient to the Western stage. This event was a live rendition of the CHINA EDM Vol.1 compilation and a significant showcase of Chinese electronic music culture to the world. The performance took place at the renowned Amsterdam nightclub Escape deLux, known for its unique atmosphere and high-quality music events.

To ensure that the “CHINA EDM NIGHT” performance garnered more attention in the Netherlands, the organizers put significant effort into promotion. Offline advertising reached close to 4,000 advertising spaces, including large billboards, metro stations, hotels and public notice boards, promoting the compilation, artists and the event activities comprehensively to ensure that the performance information reached every potential audience member.

The release of the CHINA EDM Vol.1 compilation and the staging of the “CHINA EDM NIGHT” performance mark a significant step for Chinese electronic dance music on the global stage. This is a collective showcase of Chinese electronic music producers, as well as an international dissemination of Chinese electronic music culture.

CORSAK

CORSAK

Courtesy of CORSAK

Barbra Streisand Praises ‘Wonderful’ Gracie Abrams After Discovering Her on ‘Saturday Night Live’

Gracie Abrams had lots of new eyes on her during her Saturday Night Live musical-guest debut over the weekend, including Barbra Streisand‘s — and Babs liked what she saw.

Two days after the 25-year-old pop star performed on the live comedy series for the first time ever Saturday, the Broadway legend shared a photo of Abrams singing and playing guitar on the 30 Rock stage and wrote, “I just saw a wonderful new singer named GRACIE ABRAMS (@gracieabrams) on Saturday Night Live this weekend.”

Streisand also pointed out the former Eras Tour opener’s famous parentage. “And it turns out she’s the daughter of my friend JJ Abrams!” the Funny Girl actress wrote, shouting out the Star Wars: The Force Awakens director.

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Gracie performed two tracks on the Chris Rock-hosted episode of SNL, starting with runaway hit “That’s So True.” Released in October as part of her The Secret of Us deluxe album, the track became the California native’s first-ever Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hit in November, so far peaking at No. 6.

The star followed it up with “I Love You, I’m Sorry,” a hit from the original The Secret of Us track list, which peaked at No. 19 on the Hot 100 in October. In a recent year-end conversation with Billboard, Gracie spoke about both of the tracks, noting, “When ‘I Love You, I’m Sorry’ ended up being the song that took off the most, I felt like it was — not that we needed it — permission to allow acoustic guitar to remain the driving force behind ‘That’s So True,’ which came from the feeling of living with a burning, fiery rage of jealousy.”

“Seeing the life that song is having right now is psychotic to me,” added the musician, who recently announced a run of North American tour dates in support of her deluxe album.

Streisand also released new music this year, dropping “Love Will Survive” in April for Peacock’s The Tattooist of Auschwitz. “Because of the rise in antisemitism around the world today, I wanted to sing ‘Love Will Survive’ in the context of this series as a way of remembering the six-million souls who were lost less than 80 years ago,” she said of the project in a statement at the time. “And also to say that even in the darkest of times, the power of love can triumph and endure.”

Gracie and the Yentl star also have something else in common: Both are up for awards at the 2025 Grammys. The former is in the running for best pop duo/group performance thanks to her “Us” duet with Taylor Swift, while Streisand earned nods for best song written for visual media thanks to “Love Will Survive” and best audio book, narration, and storytelling recording for memoir My Name Is Barbra.

2024 BBMAs: Relive the Best Performances, Winners & More | Billboard News

Relive the best performances, biggest winners and more highlights from the 2024 Billboard Music Awards, presented by Marriott Bonvoy.

Tetris Kelly:

Tyla, Shaboozey and more highlights from the 2024 Billboard Music Awards, presented by Marriott Bonvoy. Superstars from all genres up the ante with performances from around the world. And the big night was hosted by comedian and actress Michelle Buteau. “We’re hosting this awards show. Bang. Bang. A little differently.” Shabozeey celebrated the success of “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” with an exclusive performance from W Hollywood, part of Marriott Bonvoy’s portfolio of hotel brands. Meanwhile, Tyla strutted her stuff across the pond when she performed “PUSH 2 START”and “SHAKE AH” with a cameo from Pete & Bas from London. And STRAY KIDS showed us their showmanship with a medley of “CHK CHK BOOM”  and “JJAM” from South Korea. As for the night’s big winners, Taylor Swift took home a total of 10 awards, while Zach Bryan followed with five awards, and Morgan Wallen with four. The 2024 Billboard Music Awards are presented by Marriott Bonvoy, over 30 hotel brands and 10,000 global destinations. For a full list of BBMA winners, head over to Billboard.com.

‘The Kelly Clarkson Show’ Renewed for Seventh Season

The Kelly Clarkson Show has been renewed by NBC Owned Television Stations group for a seventh season.

Kelly Clarkson is a national treasure,” Tracie Wilson, executive vice president, syndication studios and E! News at NBCUniversal, said in a statement. “…There’s an appetite in talk for stories that entertain and inspire, and The Kelly Clarkson Show is a shining star that delivers for our stations and connects with viewers across multiple generations in meaningful ways.”

Valari Staab, chairman, NBCUniversal Local, added: “Kelly and her team continue to raise the bar in daytime television. The show’s consistent viewership, engaging content and high production quality has made it a valuable part of our programming lineup across the NBC-owned stations.”

Since its launch in 2019, The Kelly Clarkson Show has collected 22 Daytime Emmys. Clarkson has won personally won eight of those awards (compared to three Grammys over a much longer period of time). Impressively, she has won at least one Emmy in each of the five seasons.

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The Kelly Clarkson Show won outstanding daytime talk series for the fourth consecutive year at the 2024 Daytime Emmys, which were held in Los Angeles on June 7. In accepting the award, Clarkson gave special thanks to NBC for listening to her concerns when she proposed moving the show from Los Angeles to New York.

“Thanks to NBC for believing in our show. …The fact that NBC, a huge company, took time and listened when I said ‘Hey, my life is not going super great. I don’t know if I can live here [in L.A.] anymore. I don’t know if I can do this.’  And they really wrapped their arms around us and they helped us move. And the move has been so great for not just me and my family but our whole show. It takes a lot of time and money and effort to do that. It is not unnoticed. I just want to say thank you for thinking of mental health as well as, you know, a product.”

For the 2024-25 season, The Kelly Clarkson Show averages 1.2 million viewers per day, and consistently ranks as one of the top syndicated talk shows. The show airs in syndication on more than 200 stations across the country.

The Kelly Clarkson Show films in studio 6A at 30 Rockefeller in New York City. Alex Duda is executive producer and showrunner. Clarkson is also executive producer.

Daddy Yankee Files Injunction Against Estranged Wife, Claiming She Withdrew $80M Without Authorization

Daddy Yankee filed a legal motion Friday (Dec. 13) in Puerto Rico seeking an injunction against his soon-to-be ex-wife Mireddys González, alleging she withdrew $80 million from the bank account of his El Cartel Records “without authorization,” according to court documents obtained by Billboard.

The filing by the reggaetón hitmaker (Ramón Luis Ayala Rodríguez) was made in a court in San Juan against González, her sister Ayeicha González Castellanos and El Cartel Records, a company founded by Yankee where González allegedly serves as CEO and González Castellanos serves as secretary/treasurer.

The 16-page filing claims that “in spite of the plaintiff being the owner of the shares of the company and being the reason for the existence of the corporation Cartel Records Inc., today he lacks access, interference and information, to all that he generated and continues to generate and to which he is entitled.”

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Now, Yankee is asking that the court provide “immediate removal of the plaintiffs from any function or interference in the corporations as officers or administrators thereof and the delivery of the information and documentation that they have illegitimately withheld.”

Yankee claims that González and González Castellanos improperly moved to “concentrate in their persons a greater power over the operations of the Cartel than was authorized, which has resulted in a detrimental and negligent performance for the company.” He also claims they “failed to render an accurate account of their actions, disregarded formalities and requirements of the corporate legislation, irresponsible financial decisions.”

In one claim detailed in Friday’s court filing, Yankee says González hired a third party to represent El Cartel in the sale of the plaintiff’s music catalog to Concord, which Billboard reported in October. He claims the transaction was formalized by selling these rights at a price that “turned out to be unreasonable, disproportionate and far below the real value.”

“Despite the plaintiff having signed the agreement, under the advice of that third party and the defendants, the plaintiff was not provided with a copy of all the contract documents, and to this day he does not know the real scope of the transaction, nor does he have detailed knowledge of what was or was not sold, nor the limitations he may have on the use of his musical creations,” the filing reads.

According to the legal filing, the huge theft of company funds occurred on Thursday (Dec. 12) after Yankee had already revoked González and González Castellanos’ authority and had “warned that they could not carry out any transactions on behalf of El Cartel.”

“Without the knowledge and authorization of the plaintiff and in violation of the requirements of the Law, a bank transfer was made, withdrawing, according to the information obtained, eighty million dollars from the corporate account of the entity,” his lawyers wrote.

Billboard reached out to González and González Castellanos for comment but did not hear back at press time.

The new legal battle comes just weeks after Daddy Yankee and González announced they were divorcing after 20 years of marriage.

“With a heart full of respect and honesty, I want to share some important news about my personal life,” Yankee said in a statement on his Instagram Stories on Dec. 2. “After more than two decades of marriage and after many months of trying to save my marriage, which my wife and I share, today my lawyers respond to the divorce petition received by Mireddys.”

Besides her role as CEO of El Cartel, González was also the manager of the reggeatón artist and is widely known to wield broad influence over Yankee’s music career. As the artist previously told Billboard: “She’s the boss. She has always been the boss.”