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It was fitting that during Tuesday night’s (March 21) final round of season 23 blind auditions on The Voice Katie Beth Forakis sent chills through the studio with her haunting cover of Justin Bieber‘s “Ghost.” The final single from JB’s 2021 Justice album was center stage as the Tennessee grad student performed a bare bones rendition of the synth pop single that ended up drawing two chair turns.
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“Youngblood thinks there’s always tomorrow,” Forakis crooned in a silvery falsetto as first-time judge Niall Horan said, “Ohh, I like that.” As she continued, Horan continued to get lost in the spare piano arrangement and Forakis’ gentle vibe as he ooh’d and aah’d his way through the performance.
But it was Kelly Clarkson who smashed the button 45 seconds in, followed quickly by Horan. Soon-to-depart judge Blake Shelton kept his powder dry and flashed a quizzical look at the camera while fellow first-timer Chance the Rapper closed his eyes and seemed lost in the moment, but not lost enough to turn around.
When Forakis, 25, hit a run of feathery “ooh-ooh-ooh”s Clarkson seemed convinced her turn was warranted, saying, “Wow. It’s like an angel!” Horan was equally shook, shivering and murmuring, “oh my God!” and rubbing his arms to show off his goosebumps as Clarkson delivered a final verdict: “that was pretty.”
Forakis teared up after the final note, as Horan told her, “I honestly didn’t even know I could have hairs on my cheeks,” alluding to his apparent full-body shivers. Niall told her that as soon as Forakis opened her mouth he thought, “all right, great song choice.” And though he expected her to follow Bieber’s lead and “go off and take it to a bigger place,” she kept it at a low boil that appealed to him.
“There’s nothing sweeter than when someone comes in and plays a piano version of what is a massive pop song and completely controls their falsetto for effectively 90 seconds,” he said. Dubbing her rendition “fairy tale stuff,” Niall told Forakis he had one spot left on his first-ever team, then offered her a slot. Chance complimented Forakis’ floor-length orange wrap dress, but noted that his team was full while complimenting her vocals.
Clarkson, who also had a spot to fill, told Forakis she did exactly what the talk show host singer loves to do on her daily Kellyoke segments by taking a song people know and doing it differently, while praising Beth’s “heartfelt” tone.
Watch Forakis on The Voice below and find out whose team she ended up on.
NariYella put the “dream” into Dreamgirls when she performed “One Night Only” for her Blind Audition on NBC’s The Voice.
The 20-year-old native of Elkins Park, Pennsylvania saved the best to the end, when she strolled up Tuesday night (March 21) for the final episode of this early stage. She made sure the judges and everyone watching on wouldn’t forget her, with a sparkling performance from the Oscar-winning 2006 musical drama, Dreamgirls.
The performance was loaded with vocal gymnastics, soul and power. The baying studio audience felt the vibe, as did the four judges, all of whom turned to face the talent.
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“Incredible,” Chance the Rapper blurted out.
NariYella explained that she’s been singing since she could talk. No one would argue. And none of the judges would complain about the gifts she shared with each, blue kyanite tumble stones. “I’m very big on energy,” she explained.
Of the performance, Niall Horan commented: “That was insane. You were, like, so comfortable up there.”
Blake Shelton chimed in, “your voice…it was actually shocking to me, how powerful you are. Anybody who can be that open and connected to the moment, those are the artists that make it all the way.”
Kelly Clarkson then took the mic. “You have a personality that is just so incredibly captivating…you were so comfortable, and confident, so excited. And that kind of passion is what it takes to win a show like this.”
Chance rounded it out, remarking that he was “blown away” and that, technically, her skill level is “way, way, way beyond your years, way, way, way beyond your experience.”
The talking shop closed, and NariYella had to make a tough decision. She took a Chance.
Watch below.
Actress Vanessa Hudgens is heading to the Philippines to explore her family history as the star of a new travel documentary. The film will capture Hudgens’ first trip to the country of her mother’s birth, showcasing her close relationship with her family and her personal trajectory as an American-born, half-Filipino woman who has become one of the world’s most recognizable stars.
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The project is set to begin shooting in the Philippine cities of Palawan and Manila later this month. Hudgens will be accompanied on the journey and in the film by her mother, Gina Guangco, and her sister, Stella Hudgens. The actress has often spoken with pride about the biography of her mom, who left the Philippines for the U.S. at age 25.
“I feel like ours is such a relatable story to so many women all over the world,” Hudgens says. “The more that we can share, the more we can lift each other up.”
The still untitled film will be produced and directed by Paul Soriano, director of Mañanita (a competition entry at the 2019 Tokyo International Film Festival) and the Manny Pacquiao biopic, Kid Kulafu. Soriano also produced Lav Diaz’s A Lullaby to the Sorrowful Mystery (2016), which won a special film award at the Berlin International Film Festival and Transit (2013), which was the Philippines’ entry in the Best International Film Category for the 86th Academy Awards. Philippine boutique studio TEN17P is producing the new Hudgens doc.
“We are honored to work with Vanessa for this film project,” says Soriano. “It’s inspiring to note that with everything she has achieved in life, she wants to discover her Filipino roots and pay homage to her mother’s country. Hopefully, this opens doors for many more collaborations to come.”
Hudgens most recently starred in Lin Manuel Miranda’s Oscar-nominated Tick, Tick…Boom! She began her career in the world of musical theatre at age eight, eventually finding global fame in the Disney Channel’s High School Musical. As a young adult, some of her other credits have included Spring Breakers, Gimme Shelter and Bad Boys for Life. She also executive produced and starred in the films The Knight Before Christmas, and all three installments of The Princess Switch for Netflix. She’ll next star in the indie comedy French Girl and Michael Bay’s Bad Boys 4.
Hudgens is repped by CAA, Untitled Entertainment, The Lede Company and Ziffren Brittenham.
The forthcoming travel documentary will be executive produced by Paul D. Soriano and Mark A. Victor of TEN17P.
This article originally appeared in THR.com.
Ready for the big show? The 2023 iHeartRadio Music Awards, hosted by Lenny Kravitz, will air live from the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles on Monday (March 27) at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Fox.
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The awards show will feature appearances from Taylor Swift, Kelly Clarkson, Keith Urban, Latto, Coldplay, Pat Benatar, Neil Giraldo and more.
Harry Styles, Lizzo and Swift lead this year’s nominations race with eight nods each. Other nominees include SZA, Drake, Bad Bunny, Bebe Rexha, Doja Cat, Jack Harlow, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rihanna, Luke Bryan, The Weeknd, Anitta, Dua Lipa, Tiësto, Elle King, Elton John, Lil Nas X, Karol G, Kelsea Ballerini, Kenny Chesney, Kim Petras, Kodak Black, Bailey Zimmerman, Shania Twain, Swedish Mafia House, Post Malone and Morgan Wallen.
Performers include Clarkson, Kravitz, Keith Urban, Latto, Benatar and Giraldo, Muni Long, Cody Johnson, Coldplay and P!nk, who will receive the 2023 iHeartRadio Icon Award.
Swift will be on hand to receive the 2023 iHeart Innovate Award. The special honor is given out “only on occasion” and celebrates an artist that has “proven themselves to have impacted global pop culture throughout their career.”
“This is the one awards show that shares the hard-earned journeys to the top of the biggest artists and songs of the year with fans,” John Sykes, iHeartMedia’s president of entertainment enterprises, said in a statement. “It’s not a competition, rather a celebration of ‘best in class’ and viewers across America can watch it live on Fox.”
Keep reading for ways to watch and stream the 2023 iHeartRadio Music Awards.
How to Watch & Stream the 2023 iHeartRadio Music Awards
The 2023 iHeartRadio Music Awards will premiere live at 8 p.m. ET on Fox while a taped-delayed edition will air for the West Coast at 8 p.m. PT.
Viewers who have access to Fox through cable, satellite, streaming or a good-old fashioned TV antenna, shouldn’t have much trouble watching the show on TV or streaming it online at Fox.com.
Those who don’t have live television can stream the 2023 iHeart Music Awards on platforms such as Sling, DirectTV Stream, Hulu+ Live TV, Fubo, and Vidgo (use ExpressVPN to stream internationally).
Sling is cheapest among the bunch at $20 (regular $40) for the first month while Direct TV Stream, Fubo and Vidgo offer free trials and affordable streaming plans starting at around $65-$75.
Hulu+ Live TV ($74.99) lets you stream over 75 live channels including Fox, NBC, ABC, MTV, CMT, BET, OWN, TLC, Food Network, ID, Vice, TNT and TruTV in addition to everything on Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN+.
Want to watch the show on the go? All of the aforementioned streamers are accessible from your smartphone, computer and other streaming devices.
The 2023 iHeartRadio Awards will also broadcast across iHeart Media radio stations and on the iHeart Radio app.
Anne Hathaway is going to give the pop-star life a try. On Tuesday (March 21), The Hollywood Reporter revealed that the Devil Wears Prada actress will appear in A24’s forthcoming film Mother Mary, alongside Black Panther: Wakanda Forever star Michaela Coel.
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The script is written by David Lowery, who will also direct for A24, the studio that produced Everything Everywhere All at Once, which took home seven Oscars earlier this month.
The studio describes Mother Mary as an “epic pop melodrama following a fictional musician (Hathaway) and her relationship with an iconic fashion designer (Coel).”
A movie about a musician requires a soundtrack with heavy-hitter songwriters. Mother Mary will have no shortage, as frequent Taylor Swift and Lana Del Rey collaborator Jack Antonoff — who produced a “melodrama” of his own with Lorde’s 2017 sophomore LP — will write and produce original songs for the film. Charli XCX will also have a songwriting and production role for Mother Mary, while the film’s score will be composed by Daniel Hart (Light of My Life, The Green Knight, Peter Pan & Wendy).
After the news came out, Charli shared a funny photo of her alongside Antonoff to Instagram with the caption, “jack bout to get mothered.” She later added in the comments section that she “hate[s] myself for this pic but it had to be done.”
Lowery is producing the film alongside Toby Halbrooks, James M. Johnston and Jeanie Igoe of Homebird Productions. Jonas Katzenstein, Maximilian Leo and Jonathan Saubach of Cologne-based augenschein Filmproduktion also have production credits.
Looks like we’re going to be hearing wedding bells on the next season of Only Murders in the Building.
Steve Martin teased some on-set photos via Twitter on Tuesday (March 21), in which he’s seen in a tuxedo linking arms with his co-star Selena Gomez, who is wearing a lacy wedding gown and veil. “Guess what just happened!” he captioned the post, without revealing who Gomez will be walking down the aisle to.
The comedian followed up with another photo of the “Lose You to Love Me” singer smiling with co-star Martin Short, who is also dressed in black-tie attire. “Turns out this happened, too,” Martin wrote.
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Gomez also shared some snaps of her bridal moment to Instagram, in which she’s seen sitting on the floor with the tulle of her wedding dress surrounding her, smiling while holding a can of Coke. “I have no caption. Just a regular day at work,” she captioned the post, tagging the Only Murders official Instagram account.
Only Murders in the Building season two, starring the hilarious trio as true-crime loving neighbors who get wrapped up in a murder mystery, dropped on Hulu back in June. Since then, Gomez, Martin and Short have been teasing season three of the popular show throughout the past few weeks of filming — including much-anticipated cameos from Jesse Williams and Emily in Paris star Ashley Park.
Only Murders in the Building season three does not yet have a release date. In the meantime, watch the first two seasons on Hulu here.
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Now that spring has sprung, it’s a good time to start cleaning up your collection of vinyl records. It’s no secret that vinyl records are hotter than ever, and regardless of whether you have a huge record collection or a small one, it’s good to keep them clean and organized.
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Just like any other forms of physical media, vinyl records need to be kept clean so that they work properly. Fingerprints, dust and scratches can damage the surface of the record itself, which can diminish the sound and add unwanted noise. Even natural oils from your hands can erode the surface of your vinyl records.
When it comes to cleaning your vinyls, there are special solutions, vinyl record brushes and cleaning kits that are designed to keep your records in pristine shape. For example, the Vinyl Buddy record cleaning kit ($20) has a near-perfect customer rating on Amazon and you’ll get a lot of items for a decent price.
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Amazon
Vinyl Buddy Record Cleaner Kit 5 Piece Ultimate Cleaning System – Velvet Brush – Nylon Microfiber Brush – Stylus Brush – LP Cleaning Solution – Storage Pouch
$21.99 $31.95 31% OFF
The five-piece kit comes with a velvet brush, microfiber brush, stylus brush, cleaning solution and a storage pouch. The Groove Washer Walnut Record Cleaning Kit ($39.95) is another favorite of music lovers.
For something easier and possibly cheaper, depending on what you already have around the house, you can always go for Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner and water. Not familiar with Simple Green? It’s a natural, all-purpose cleaning solution that works on just about everything. From surfaces to soft carpets, Simple Green is designed to remove direct grease and stains on countertops, floors, fabric, equipment, vehicles and more. And it’s gentle enough to use on your vinyl records.
Simple Green retails for about $2-$5 for a 32-ounce spray bottle and around $10 for a gallon. You can get it at Amazon, Walmart, Home Depot, Lowe’s and other retailers.
To clean your vinyl records, grab a microfiber cleaning cloth to remove the dust and static from the record. Next, dampen a clean microfiber cloth (preferably with distilled water) and lightly wipe the record surface in a circular motion — but steer clear of the middle of the record. Next, add a splash of Simple Green (the company recommends a 1:30 ratio) to a bowl of water and clean the record following the same circular motion as the earlier steps. Lastly, grab a dry microfiber cloth to dry the vinyl record (you can also use compressed air to blow away any residual dust).
After your record is clean, all that’s left to do is enjoy the music! Just make sure to check the needle on your record player so that there’s no leftover dust particles that could distort the sound. For additional shopping recommendations check out our list of best record players and turntables, best speakers for music lovers and storage options for your music collection .
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Celebrity perfume used to be big business. Despite a decline in sales over the last several years, the business of celebrity fragrances could be bouncing back. Nowadays, it seems that every star has a signature scent — but it wasn’t always that way. In 1937, Mae West became one of the earliest — if not the first — star whose likeness inspired a perfume bottle. Decades later, Elizabeth Taylor blazed the trail for Britney Spears, Kim Kardashian, Jennifer Lopez and other celebs who have built perfume empires.
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Because there are so many fragrances to choose from, we decided to put together a list of the 12 best celebrity fragrances — including newer releases and nostalgic scents — to celebrate National Fragrance Day on Tuesday (March 21). From Ariana Grande to Usher, see below for a roundup of must-have perfumes and colognes.
Mod Blush Eau de Parfum by Ariana Grande
$68
Mod Blush and Mod Vanilla are the latest fragrance drops in Ariana Grande’s growing perfumery. Released last year, Mod Blush offers a sweet scent while Mod Vanilla gives a little spice. You can find both fragrances at Ulta Beauty along with God Is a Woman, R.E.M., Sweet Like Candy, Cloud and Thank U Next.
Eilish No. 2 Eau de Parfum by Billie Eilish
$72
Eilish No. 2 is the second perfume release from the “Happier Than Ever” singer, who recently made her acting debut in the Prime Video’s Swarm. A followup to her debut self-titled scent, Eilish No. 2 is an “alluring wood floral fragrance” with notes of apple blossom, palo santo and wild wet poppy flowers.
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SCENT BEAUTY Dolly Parton Scent from Above Perfume Eau de Parfum – 3.4 Fl Oz
$90.83
What does Dolly Parton smell like? Heaven, of course! The country music icon released her first signature fragrance with Scent Beauty in 2021. Scent From Above is a blissful scent with notes of mandarin, peony blossoms, jasmine, vanilla, sandalwood, musk and patchouli.
Fenty Eau de Parfum
$140
Fenty Eau de Parfum is the premiere fragrance from Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty empire. The unisex fragrance offers up a warm floral scent with notes of magnolia, musk and Bulgarian rose.
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Cher 4-Piece Decades EDP Set
$59.25
Travel through the ’60s, ’70s, ’80 and ’90s with Cher’s scented collection. The Cher 4-Piece Decades EDP Gift Set serves up a mix of flirty and sensual scents with vibrant notes of violet rose, gardenia, bergamot, pink pepper, amber and patchouli and more.
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Taylor Swift Wonderstruck Enchanted Eau de Parfum 1.0oz (30ml) Spray
$78.80
With the launch of The Eras Tour, Taylor Swift’s Enchanted perfume might be in even higher demand than usual. Swifties have be in love this whimsical scent — which blends sweet, woody, floral and fruity notes — for more than a decade.
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Shawn Mendes Signature Perfume Spray for Women & Men, 3.4 fl. oz.
$64.99
This unisex perfume spray from Shawn Mendes first debuted in 2017. The Canadian crooner, whose sustainable collection with Tommy Hilfiger debuted last week, described the spray as being “reminiscent” of the smells that he grew up wearing and those worn around him. With maple at the root, the eau de parfum spray includes notes of pineapple, McIntosh apple, lemon oil, dulce de leche, white cedar and skin musk.
Amazon
Beyoncé Heat Eau de Parfum
$50.97 $54.00 6% OFF
“Catch the fever!” Beyoncé’s dropped Heat Eau de Parfum back in 2010 but fans still adore this sizzling scent. Heat features notes of red vanilla-orchid, magnolia, neroli, peach, honeysuckle almond and musky cream that lead to base notes of sequoia wood tonka and amber.
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Lady Gaga Fame Eau de Parfum Spray for Women, 1 Ounce
$222.99
Lady Gaga’s Fame fragrance is one of the top-selling fragrances of all time. Base notes of jasmine sambac and tiger orchid blend with apricot, saffron, honey flavors and middle notes of incense and belladonna to make this intoxicating scent.
Nicki Minaj’s “Pink Friday” released in 2012.
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Nicki Minaj Pink Friday Eau de Parfum Spray for Women, 3.4 Ounce
$37.78
Barbz can’t seem to get enough of Nicki Minaj’s Pink Friday Eau de Parfum. Released in 2012, the sassy scent features star fruit, mandarin, boysenberry with lotus, jasmine petals, caramelized pear, vanilla, musk and wood.
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Katy Perry’s cat-inspired perfume combines top notes of peach, forbidden apple, gardenia and green bamboo, jasmine, pink freesia and Bulgarian rose. Vanilla orchid, creamy sandalwood, white amber, coconut and musk are the base of the scent. Purr is available at Walmart and Amazon.
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Usher By Usher For Men, Eau De Toilette Spray, 3.4-Ounce
$75.98
“Smooth,” “sexy,” and “smells amazing” are just a few of the top reviews for Usher by Usher. Designed for men and women, the eau de toilette spray boasts a fresh fragrance with tropical notes of sea water and fruits, middle notes of sandalwood, nutmeg, bay leaf, artemisia and basil and base notes of sandalwood and guaiac wood.
Musician Durand Jones is sharing an intimate look at his personal life with a new video for his debut solo single “That Feeling.” The track – off his upcoming LP Wait Til I Get Over – is an ode to Black queer love from the lead singer of Durand Jones and the Indications and marks the first time the singer has openly discussed his sexuality.
“That Feeling” reflects on Jones’ first queer relationship and the mixed feelings he felt about “taboo” love. “I dedicate this one to a cajun dude out near Lafayette, Louisiana. Back in the day, our bond and love for another was so close and intense, that it overwhelmed me,” Jones said in a statement released with the song. “I began to be scared of it and ashamed. I found myself in a flurry trying to find the feelings when I said I would be so many things for him.”
Jones continues, “It’s the first breakup song I’ve ever written, and it’s the first and only love song I’ve written directly to another man. I wanted this song to be a big climatic build of emotions – to capture our frustration, sadness, and nostalgia that comes with the end to any intimate relationship.”
The single is released alongside a music video directed by Will Niava and McCray Sutherlin. Backdropped by scenes of gulf Louisiana wetland, the video follows Jones and a younger version of himself falling in love for the first time. When an older Jones returns to his hometown, he and his former love exchange fleeting glances at a Southern dinner table and tender gazes in a marshy field, capturing the aching yearn of long-lost love.
Jones’ debut solo album Wait Til I Get Over (due out on May 5 via Dead Oceans) serves as a reckoning of Jones’ relationship with his hometown of Hillaryville, La., a town first established as a form of reparations to previously enslaved Black Americans. Check out the official video for Jones’ “That Feeling” above.
Ed Sheeran‘s forthcoming Disney+ docuseries, Ed Sheeran: The Sum of It All, is set to arrive this spring. Ahead of its premiere on the streaming platform, Disney+ shared the first trailer for program, which sees that “Bad Habits” singer opening up about the tough moments in his life, including wife Cherry Seaborn‘s tumor diagnosis and the loss of his best friend, Jamal Edwards.
The trailer makes various stops throughout Sheeran’s meteoric rise to fame, from being a young school kid and selling CDs in local shops to help pay for his meals, to touring across the world and selling out stadiums and arenas.
“Everything in my life sort of got so much better when Cherry got into it. I got married, and I’m a dad who has two daughters,” Sheeran says in the trailer before bringing up Seaborn’s health struggle. “We’ve reached a peak, and then it just went [boom noise]. Cherry’s health … it got really bad.”
The 32-year-old pop star first revealed that Seaborn developed a tumor while she was pregnant with the couple’s second daughter last year. “Within the space of a month, my pregnant wife got told she had a tumour, with no route to treatment until after the birth,” he shared in his album announcement for Subtract, his fifth LP set to arrive on May 5.
“Then suddenly my best friend Jamal died,” he added in the trailer. “The loss just took over my life.”
He also addressed the loss in his album announcement, writing, “My best friend Jamal, a brother to me, died suddenly and I found myself standing in court defending my integrity and career as a songwriter. I was spiraling through fear, depression and anxiety.”
All four episodes of Ed Sheeran: The Sum of It All — “Love,” “Loss,” “Focus” and “Balance” — will arrive on May 5.
Watch the trailer for Ed Sheeran: The Sum of It All above.