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17 Mar 2023

Queer Jams of the Week: New Music From Doechii, Joy Oladokun, Princess Nokia & More

Get your St. Patrick’s Day weekend off to the right start with some new tracks from your favorite queer artists. Billboard Pride is proud to present the latest edition of Queer Jams of the Week, our roundup of some of the best new music releases from LGBTQ artists.

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From Doechii’s pitch-perfect new collab with Kodak Black to Joy Oladokun’s life-affirming new anthem, check out just a few of our favorite releases from this week below.

Doechii feat. Kodak Black, “What It Is (Block Boy)”

Simply put, Doechii has never sounded better than she does on “What It Is (Block Boy).” On her bouncing new track, the rising singer lets her voice loose over an instantly-catchy backing track complete with light guitar riffs, chunky piano chords and a killer beat. Add into it a verse from “Super Gremlin” superstar Kodak Black, and you have a certified banger on your hands.

Joy Oladokun feat. Noah Kahan, “We’re All Gonna Die”

Existentialism has never sounded quite as good as it does on Joy Oladokun’s new anthem. The aptly-titled “We’re All Gonna Die” sees the singer-songwriter taking on a “f–k it, let’s see what happens” approach to just about everything has to offer. While the lyrics might occasionally dip into a slightly more pessimistic worldview than fans of Oladokun are used to hearing, the sweet, churning production immediately casts away all doubt — “We’re All Gonna Die” is truly about having fun with what little time you’ve got in this world.

Princess Nokia, I Love You But This Is Goodbye

There’s something about I Love You But This Is Goodbye, the sparkling new EP from Princess Nokia, that is deeply endearing. Throughout the project, which sees the star switching up her hip-hop stylings for a pop-rock-meets-electronica vibe, Nokia charts a full journey from love to loss and back again. Her pen is fully intact with some A-plus songwriting on tracks like “Angels & Demons,” while others like lead single “Closure” let you bask in their delicious production. It’s a remarkable EP from an artist in need of much more recognition than she’s already earned.

ODESZA feat. Claud, “To Be Yours”

For their very first collaboration together, electronic duo ODESZA and indie star Claud prove to be a perfect match. “To Be Yours” perfectly toes the line between each of the artists’ respective worlds, employing the crystal clear production work of the sought-after dance pair as well as the confessional songwriting of the fast-rising bedroom pop singer into one gloriously fun single. If you’re in search of a good song to simply vibe out to this weekend, look no further.

Greyson Chance, “Herringbone”

Greyson Chance would like his jacket back please — and if you could bring his heart back with it, that would also be very helpful. “Herringbone,” the heartbreaking new single from the alt-pop singer-songwriter, is an ode to all things lost as Chance begs his lover to please come back after their breakup. With a gentle touch and some very well-written lyrics, Chance owns every ounce of his own anguish on this gorgeous new song.

Siena Liggins, “3 Bad”

Siena Liggins is ready for some experimentation. On “3 Bad,” the singer’s latest track, Liggins manages to take hyper-pop sounds (pitched-up vocals, plinking percussion and blown-out bass drums, to name a few) and make a deeply introspective, chaotically sad breakup song. While she promises self-destruction to her old flame, Liggins doesn’t implode — she expands her sound and dives into a new era of her career headfirst.

Shelly Fairchild feat. Shamir, “Fist City” (Loretta Lynn cover)

There is something so deeply engaging about artists as different as Shelly Fairchild and Shamir teaming up to tackle a Loretta Lynn classic like “Fist City.” The pair don’t lean away from the distinctive sounds of the country superstar — instead they lean in, bringing a folksy twang to every beat of this delicious cover. With a set of voices uniquely suited to one another, Fairchild and Shamir shine on this gorgeous tribute to a late icon.

Check out all of our picks on Billboard’s Queer Jams of the Week playlist below:

17 Mar 2023

Every Rusical from ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race,’ Ranked Worst to Best

More than perhaps any other show in the history of television, RuPaul’s Drag Race has always prided itself on creating a space for the intersection of pop culture and queerness. Whether it’s in a lip sync for your life to a famous LGBTQ anthem, or a pitch-perfect Snatch Game impersonation of a gay icon, Drag Race delivers a bevy of queer cultural moments every year.

In the series’ more recent seasons, one particular brand of those moments emerged as a fan-favorite: the Rusical challenge. Since the debut of “Shade: The Rusical” back in season 6, every main season of Drag Race has featured the now-iconic challenge where queens are tasked with picking roles and creating on a show-stopping theatrical experience. Complete with costumes, choreography and the occasional 11 o’clock number, the Rusical challenge is a near-perfect way to celebrate the queer community’s undying obsession with musical theater.

Just like Broadway itself, pretty much anything can be turned into a Rusical: Some challenges have seen queens telling an original story about drag ingenues interacting with evil queens; others have seen them telling the lightly altered stories of pop divas; one even saw the queens attempting to sell fake pharmaceutical products. In the case of season 15, the queens will be performing in their very on Footloose parody, Wigloose: The Rusical on Friday (March 17).

What makes a good Rusical performance? Below, Billboard takes a look back at every Rusical performance in the history of RuPaul’s Drag Race and RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars, and ranks them from worst to best based on their general concepts, execution, music and overall impact. Take a look at where your favorite Rusical ended up below:

‘PharmaRusical’ (Season 10, Episode 2)

Concept: Who came up with this? It’s sort of funny, but ultimately very strange and random to take the format of drug infomercials and transform them into drag puns that sort of become songs. We don’t need to hear a song about a drug called Badonkadonx that will give you a bigger butt — even when it’s trying to be over-the-top and campy, it still fizzles out.

Execution: It’s tough to remember a single performance from such a strange Rusical. The Vixen made the most out of what she was given, and Mayhem Miller’s ballad about anal options was objectively funny. The rest largely got left in the background.

Music: The songs of this Rusical are disjointed, skipping around frequently from hip-hop to Broadway to pop at a frenzied pace. There’s not a lot to say here – there’s very little that’s actually successful in this music.

Overall: Especially in a season that had another (much better) Rusical, the PharmaRusical was a forgettable experience, and one that you certainly don’t need to think too much about. If you’re looking to rewatch old episodes, feel free to skip this.
Glamazonian Airways (Season 7, Episode 2)

Concept: While being slightly more coherent than the PharmaRusical, Glamazonian Airways still elicits the question, “Why?” Spoofing airline takeoff videos makes a bit more sense than satirizing pharmaceutical commercials, but it isn’t exactly ripe for comedy.

Execution: Mrs. Kasha Davis served a full ham dinner, which is the only sensible choice for this strange lip-sync experience. Ginger Minj earned her win with her choreography and her wacky faces. Most of the other queens in this challenge did a serviceable job, with only Katya, Miss Fame and Sasha Belle standing out for their struggle with performing the number.

Music: With a top 40 pop feel to each of the songs, there’s a plenty of continuity here. There’s nothing particularly exciting about the selections, but they certainly aren’t bad.

Overall: Glamazonian Airways is another rare swing-and-miss among the Rusical challenges. Especially when compared to later entries on this list, this season 7 challenge failed to take off.
Kardashian: The Musical (Season 9, Episode 5)

Concept: Now this is what we call a concept. Taking a Broadway sensation like Hamilton and parodying it by changing the subject to reality TV royalty is a perfect way to get both the competing queens and the audience at home invested in what’s happening.

Execution: Unfortunately, even with such a good concept, two queens ended up bearing the weight of this Rusical on their shoulders. Alexis Michelle’s unhinged portrayal of Kris Jenner was perfect for the challenge, and Shea Couleé’s Blac Chyna was an absolute scene-stealer. But in a musical centered around the role of Kim Kardashian, it’s hard to watch Cynthia Lee Fontaine’s strained stint in the spotlight.

Music: The music isn’t bad, per se. But when the reference point you’ve chosen to mimic is a musical like Hamilton, there’s suddenly a lot of expectation to live up to. The “club song” featuring Britney Spears, Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan was fun, as was “Momager,” but the moments meant to directly reference Lin-Manuel Miranda’s magnum opus fell apart.

Overall: The idea of Kardashian: The Musical is greater than the sum of its parts. While the concept should work, the only truly memorable parts of this performance were Alexis Michelle, Shea Couleé, and Nina Bo’nina Brown constantly insisting that she should’ve been Blac Chyna.
Shade: The Rusical (Season 6, Episode 4)

Concept: As the first-ever Rusical, the idea behind Shade is simple; what happens if we take some classic stage tropes and reflavor them for drag queens? A winsome ingenue, a jaded diva, a brassy villain, a Greek chorus — they hit all of the marks. It’s not particularly inventive, but hey, it’s not really meant to be.

Execution: Courtney Act, Adore Delano and BenDeLaCreme are absolute stars in this Rusical. Courtney and Adore nail the live singing, and BenDeLaCreme is pure camp as the eye-patched, leopard-printed villain. Outside of that, there’s not a lot to say; queens like Darienne Lake and Gia Gunn struggled with their singing, while Trinity K. Bonet and April Carrion looked lost on the stage.

Music: As RuPaul once said to Nina West and Silky Nutmeg Ganache: “Meh.” This musical was designed to be campy and funny, not musically exciting.

Overall: Shade: The Rusical kicked off the Rusical challenge trend on Drag Race, and featured a number of highly entertaining, memorable performances. But taken altogether, the numerous rough patches showed some of the kinks that still needed to be worked out for the future of this challenge.
Cher: The Unauthorized Rusical (Season 10, Episode 8)

Concept: Considering that The Cher Show, an actual Broadway musical exploring the life of this pop icon, was already in the works at the time of this Rusical’s release, it’s safe to say that the concept is solid. This is a simple, fun way to give each queen the spotlight, by having them highlight a different era in the Goddess of Pop’s decades-spanning career.

Execution: The good largely outweighs the bad here — Kameron Michaels’ ’60s Cher had great vocals and a very funny impersonation, Monét X Change proved that she could sing the house down, and Miz Cracker delivered one of the best (and frankly, underrated) performances of the show as Vocoder comeback Cher. A few queens stumbled, like The Vixen and Asia O’Hara, but even then, the queens still worked this number out.

Music: While the performances in this challenge made us Believe, the music was not Strong Enough. The verse for Miz Cracker’s comeback Cher, including like “I know the gays will buy this/ And I know Britney will try this” is far-and-away the best, while the Movie Star Cher section sounds like it’s pulled from another project entirely. When the music works, it works — unfortunately, there are more than a few sections where it doesn’t.

Overall: The format of this unauthorized Cher Rusical, along with some high-quality performances from the queens of season 10, make up for the music’s dip in quality.
Social Media: The Unverified Rusical (Season 13, Episode 8)

Concept: Taking each major social media platform and personifying them into a cast of wildly unhinged characters is an easy, albeit hackneyed plot device that leads to all kinds of ridiculous on stage shenanigans. It’s fun, it’s campy, it’s what you’ve come to expect from a Rusical. It’s certainly not worth a downvote, but it’s not getting retweeted any time soon.

Execution: The queens did a pretty good job in this challenge, with a few exceptional standouts, and a few who we simply must swipe left on. Rosé, as expected, killed her role as Foxy, Denali and Gottmik’s Russian bots had us rolling, and while the judges were focused on a mistake Tina Burner made in character, we couldn’t help but absolutely adore her performance as the evening’s emcee, Friendster. Meanwhile Symoné and Kandy both fizzled in their respective roles as Instagram and LinkedIn, while Elliott with 2 Ts’ TikTok impersonation felt like it simply could not pass the vibe check.

Music: The song parodies here are very good — rewriting both the music and lyrics of Barbra Streisand’s iconic Funny Girl showstopper “Don’t Rain On My Parade” to fit the theme was the strongest choice of the night, with the nods to Broadway staples like “The Cell Block Tango,” “Do You Hear the People Sing?” and even “I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General” picking up a lot of the slack from the bland story.

Overall: While the concept may not have been particularly inventive or interesting , Social Media: The Unverified Rusical was saved by smart musical numbers and showstopping performances from a few of the queens. Feel free to give it a like.
Trump: The Rusical (Season 11, Episode 4)

Concept: Some fans were very trepidatious about Drag Race making light of the controversial president and his lackeys with this Rusical — but looking back, this was probably the most on-brand way for Drag Race to address the Trump administration. Turning Grease into a political spoof where the queens get to openly mock those surrounding Trump (and praise those who opposed him) was about as good of a concept as we’ve seen in these Rusicals.

Execution: The queens did a great job on this yuuuuge challenge. Silky Nutmeg Ganache stole the spotlight with her Oprah Winfrey number, Nina West’s turn as Sarah Huckabee Sanders was gut-busting, Ariel Versace nailed the leading role of “Shandy,” and Yvie Oddly’s deranged Kellyanne Conway was exactly the right amount of crazy. But without uttering a single word, Ginger Minj’s guest star turn as Donald Trump himself was the show-stopping moment of this entire Rusical.

Music: It’s not easy to create multiple parody songs about political corruption in the style of Grease, but Drag Race managed to do it. While not every number was a winner, the vast majority of them hit their marks as needed, and deftly walked the line between imitation and original.

Overall: Trump: The Rusical had the potential to fall flat on its face, yet it managed to be one of Drag Race‘s most consistent Rusicals. It was over-the-top, funny, and kept the spirit of Grease intact throughout, all while getting to throw up a big middle finger to the Commander in Chief.
VH1 Divas Lip Sync Live (‘All Stars’ Season 3, Episode 2)

Concept: Simplicity, it turns out, is key when putting together a Rusical. With Drag Race and All Stars having made the official move over to VH1 , creating a musical around the network’s iconic Divas series made perfect sense for the show — and felt like a simple, easy way to both reimagine tracks from RuPaul’s catalog and let the queens embody some of their favorite chart-topping artists.

Execution: Simply put, everyone did great. BenDeLaCreme was born to shake her ass while impersonating Julie Andrews, Shangela’s Mariah was spot-on, Trixie Mattel could pull off Dolly Parton in her sleep, and Bebe Zahara Benet looked like the spitting image of Diana Ross herself. Even Thorgy Thor’s turn as Stevie Nicks, while less impressive than some of her cohorts, was still unbelievably entertaining to watch.

Music: Retrofitting each of RuPaul’s singles for different divas — spanning genres like pop, country, rock, adult contemporary and more — is a Herculean task. But each song fit every queen and made the performance that much more fun to watch, anticipating just how they would take a song like “Peanut Butter” and make it work as a Celine Dion showstopper.

Overall: From top to bottom, this challenge checked every box it needed to, and earned its Diva title.
Bitch Perfect (Season 8, Episode 2)

Concept: With Pitch Perfect‘s continued cultural dominance back in 2016, this challenge was a perfect way to honor (and poke fun) at the impact of a cappella. There’s no need for a convoluted plot or fleshed-out characters when all we really want to see is our favorite drag queens competing in different collegiate singing troupes.

Execution: Go back and watch Bitch Perfect and try not to have a great time. Everyone in this challenge is giving their best, campiest performance art, and absolutely working out the choreography. The late, great Chi Chi DeVayne is an immediate standout — her handstand-twerk continues to impress us to this day — while Thorgy Thor’s unbridled energy is infectious. Kudos to every single one of these queens.

Music: This is some of the best music ever put to the stage in a Rusical challenge. Whether they were going for bubblegum pop on “Jealous of My Boogie” or scintillating hip-hop on “Geronimo,” every a cappella arrangement in this performance was absolutely stellar.

Overall: It may not be the first one that comes to mind for some fans, but Bitch Perfect is far and away one of the best Rusical performances ever brought to the mainstage of Drag Race. Everybody say “underrated!”
Moulin Ru! The Rusical (Season 14, Episode 12)

Concept: This story is about … drag. The idea here is pretty simple — taking the hit film and Broadway musical Moulin Rouge, re-translating it using the music of RuPaul herself, and casting drag queens (as well as Leland and Leslie Jordan) in the roles. With a built-in and already beloved story, you have yourself a winning formula for a Rusical.

Execution: Can we get a standing ovation? Throughout this marvelous Rusical, each of the seven queens did a fabulous job pulling out all the stops to ace the monumental task of telling the story of Moulin Rouge armed only with RuPaul’s repertoire. Some queens, though, sparkled more than others — Lady Camden in particular, in her Harold Ziegler-adjacent role as “Mama Z,” stole every moment she appeared, nefariously stroking her beard and twiddling her mustache. Willow Pill also managed to shine as the Green Fairy with her high-energy, ratcheting-up performance in the show’s back half.

Music: Producers Leland and Gabe Lopez nailed the assignment. Each of the tracks throughout the Rusical took on RuPaul’s songs — including “Cover Girl,” “Freaky Money” and “Jealous of My Boogie” — and gave them that dramatic, brassy twist that makes Moulin Rouge so fun to listen to over and over again. Also, listen closely to that Green Fairy medley, and you’ll hear the beautiful vocal stylings of Allie X giving a truly unhinged performance.

Overall: Season 14’s installment of the annual Rusical challenge was, to borrow a phrase, spectacular-spectacular. With a clear-cut concept, some entertaining takes on RuPaul originals and a series of show-stopping performances, Moulin Ru will go down as one of the best Rusicals in the show’s herstory, come what may.
HERstory of the World (‘All Stars’ Season 2, Episode 3)

Concept: Taking a tour through history, guided by a handful of the powerful women who helped shape it? Brilliant. Not only is the concept easily accessible for fans, but it opens the door for hilarious performances and creative liberties with music throughout history. Someone in the Drag Race writers room deserved a raise for this concept, and we hope they got it.

Execution: Even the judges had a hard time finding faults in these performances. They ended up singling out Katya and Ginger Minj, but both excelled in the challenge — Ginger’s absolutely unhinged Catherine the Great was hilarious to watch, and Katya’s Princess Diana felt spot-on. Of course, the two scene stealers were Detox as a neon-colored, opera-singing Marie Antoinette, and Alyssa Edwards’ rootin’, tootin’, gun-shootin’ Annie Oakley. If there had been an audience, we would have expected a standing ovation.

Music: With every song, the producers upped the camp factor, making this challenge even funnier than it needed to be. Making hard pivots from heavy metal to opera to rockabilly to salsa, the music in HERstory of the World is insane — and yet every song works for the context it’s put in.

Overall: While it was far from the first Rusical, HERstory of the World certainly helped cement the Rusical’s status as a mainstay challenge on Drag Race, thanks to how exceedingly well it was executed.
Madonna: The Unauthorized Rusical (Season 12, Episode 7)

Concept: The fact that we don’t have a real-life Madonna jukebox musical is, frankly, criminal. With a songbook as iconic and versatile as Madonna’s, Drag Race would be foolish not to pay homage to the Material Girl’s career through a Rusical.

Execution: First things first — yes, Jan was robbed. The New York City queen slayed every vocal, nailed every dance move, and was a near-perfect embodiment of Early Madge. But when you look at the rest of the talent in this Rusical, it’s understandable why the judges had such a hard time choosing who should win the challenge — everyone was phenomenal. Gigi Goode’s True Blue-era impersonation was endlessly entertaining, Jaida Essence Hall served pure sex, Crystal Methyd was ridiculous (and really good!), and even Brita (who ended up sashaying away in this episode) did an excellent job portraying the iconic cone-bra phase of the Queen of Pop’s career.

Music: One word: composition. Nailing a parody song is a difficult task, but each and every track in the Madonna Rusical perfectly evokes a specific song in her catalog without directly using its melody. Every song managed to be both funny and good — a feat that no other Rusical accomplished quite like this one did.

Overall: This Rusical had everything — incredible performances, a strong well of material to pull from, excellently orchestrated music and stellar choreography. Frankly, no other Rusical compares — Madonna: The Unauthorized Rusical is unquestionably the best Rusical in the history of Drag Race. Period.

17 Mar 2023

Lil Nas X Says There’s ‘No Such Thing’ as a Role Model After Being Compared to Andrew Tate

Lil Nas X has never been one to shy away from a fight with an internet troll, as he proved yet again after one user made an ill-fated comparison involving the rapper.

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On Wednesday (March 15), Lil Nas quote tweeted a user who made a comparison between the rapper and disgraced social media influencer Andrew Tate. “On the left, we have ‘Lil Nas X’ twerking on Satan. On the right, we have Andrew Tate, who teaches young people to think critically, to take care of their physical health and build financial security,” the tweet said alongside two images of Lil Nas and Tate. “Guess which one is deemed controversial and which is hailed as a role model.”

The “Industry Baby” rapper first pointed out that he wasn’t really “twerking on Satan” in his “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” music video. “1. that is a cgi animated being not satan from the bible book,” the rapper wrote.

Getting to his larger point, Lil Nas pointed out that he never signed up to be anyone’s idol, and encouraged his fans to think for themselves rather than finding a celebrity to admire. “2. there’s no such thing as a good role model,” he continued. “y’all need to find yourselves and stop looking for people to look up to.”

Fans of the “Old Town Road” singer also made sure to add a third point to the debate: Lil Nas X is not an alleged human trafficker. Tate and his brother Tristan were detained by Romanian police on Dec. 29 on suspicion of “human trafficking and rape.” Tate and his brother were denied bail for a third time on Wednesday (March 15), remaining in Romanian prison while awaiting formal charges.

17 Mar 2023

Watch This ‘The Voice’ Contestant’s Stunning Harry Styles Cover Get a Four-Chair Turn

There’s a lot of pressure when covering a hit song, especially when that song had topped the Hot 100 for 15 weeks. However, taking on Harry Styles‘ “As It Was” was no issue for 32-year-old Cait Martin, who put a soulful rendition on the track for her The Voice blind audition.

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Her clean vocals and angelic high notes had all four coaches — Kelly Clarkson, Blake Shelton, Chance the Rapper and Niall Horan — turning their red chairs around for a chance to get the budding star on their team this season.

However, Martin’s mom, who was watching the whole thing from side stage, knew immediately who she wanted her daughter’s coach to be. “Kelly! Kelly! Kelly!” she was heard chanting, to which Clarkson hilariously replied, “You know what they say. You should always listen to your parents. That’s the better path. That’s the one God tells us.”

The original American Idol went on to say, “I turned around instantaneously. I could tell in your voice and how much control you had in the beginning — that beautiful vibrato is so crystal clear — and I knew you were going to go big and powerful, but I didn’t know how big your range was. That was high and you did it so effortlessly. I feel like I would be such a great coach for you. I believed in you light years before these guys turned around.”

Shelton then made his case to be Martin’s coach, using the excuse that season 23 is his last on the show. “I would love to go out with a win on this thing. I think that I can dig down deep and somehow find the energy and passion one more time to win The Voice. It would be awesome if you would be on the last Team Blake,” the country star shared.

Chance the Rapper went on to compare Martin to Whitney Houston, and Horan complimented the singer on her storytelling abilities. “You guys are not making it easy for me whatsoever,” Martin said in response.

Check out the impressive audition below, and be sure to tune in to The Voice on NBC on Monday at 8 p.m. ET to see who Martin’s coach is.

17 Mar 2023

Billie Eilish Will Seriously Freak You Out in ‘Swarm’ Teaser

Billie Eilish has obviously conquered the world of music. But once you see her acting debut in the creepy teaser for Donald Glover’s new Amazon Prime Video series Swarm you’ll be wondering who the “Bad Guy” really is.

The series, which premieres today (March 17) focuses on a character named Dre (Dominique Fishback) who is an obsessive fan of a Beyoncé-like pop star. In the clip Eilish posted on Instagram, she and Dre are seen in extreme close-up discussing something ominous. “I see… milk spilled on the carpet,” Dre says.

“What color was the milk?,” Eilish’s character asks with a sweetly sinister look on her face. “It was red,” Dre replies with a knowing half-smile. “Did you hurt someone?” Eilish whispers before cracking a devilish grin. When Dre says she did, Eilish praises her work as “very good.”

The show also features Paris Jackson, Chloe Bailey, Damson Idris, Rickey Thompson, Rory Culkin, Kiersey Clemons and Byron Bowers. All seven episodes of the show are now available on Prime Video.

In an interview with Billboard, Fishback opened up about portraying Dre in the series. “I really wanted to stretch myself as an actor,” said the 31-year-old actress.

“Presence was really important,” she explained of her approach to the role. “If I tried to map out Dre, I wouldn’t be able to play an authentic character because she isn’t that. It became a thing where I would do something really weird and I would try to get a reaction out of Donald [Glover]. If I could get him to be like, ‘Huh, that was strange,’ then I was doing something.”

Eilish also posted a series of snaps from the Swarm red carpet premiere earlier this week, including ones in which she’s cheesing in baggy black slacks, an oversized white button-down and black tie in a parking garage stairwell, walking the carpet, posing with Fishback and series co-creators Donald Glover and Janine Nabers and with boyfriend Jesse Rutherford.

Check out Eilish in the teaser and walking the red carpet at the show’s premiere below.

16 Mar 2023

Countdown to ‘The Little Mermaid’: How to Pre-Order the Barbie Doll Online

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Under the sea! You can now pre-order The Little Mermaid Barbie doll.

Capturing The Little Mermaid star, Halle Bailey’s, likeness even down to the mole above her eye. The posable Barbie retails for $14.99 and has long red dreadlocks like Bailey’s hair in the film and an ombre-mermaid tail with a glitter fin.

Bailey gave fans a sneak peek of the doll last week. “I have something really exciting to reveal to you all. I am gonna cry,” the actress and singer shared on Instagram earlier this month. “This is the new Little Mermaid doll! I am literally choking up because this means so much to me. And to have one that looks like me, that’s my favorite Disney character, is very surreal. And look, she even has my mole! See? And the hair, and the tail…I’m just stunned, so I don’t quite know what to do with it, but I’m gonna steal this and take it home.”

According to Amazon, the doll will be released on April 23. Meanwhile, Disney premiered the official trailer for The Little Mermaid during the Oscars telecast on Sunday (March 12). Bailey and co-star Melissa McCarthy, who plays Ursula in the film, introduced the clip.

The Little Mermaid marks the first live-action adaptation of the Disney animated film which was originally released in 1989. The doll is currently the No. 1 best-seller at Amazon along with The Little Mermaid Live Action Novelization($6.92) due out April 11. Fans can find more gear from the animated version of The Little Mermaid at shopDisney.com.

The Little Mermaid stars Bailey, McCarthy, Javier Bardem, Noma Dumezweni, Jonah Hauer-King, Simone Ashley, Jacob Tremblay, Daveed Diggs and Lin-Manuel Miranda. The soundtrack will be released on May 19 and features new music written by Miranda alongside music from the original film composed by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman.

The Little Mermaid hits theaters on May 26. Pre-order the doll below.

Disney The Little Mermaid Ariel Doll, Mermaid Fashion Doll with Signature Outfit, Toys Inspired by Disney’s The Little Mermaid

$14.99

16 Mar 2023

How to Watch Swarm on Prime Video: Release Date, Time & Ways to Stream for Free

Get ready for the Swarm! Donald Glover’s Prime Video series, about an obsessed fan base that can’t stop buzzing over its Queen Bee, premieres on Friday (March 17).

Dominique Fishback, Chloë Bailey and Damson Idris star in the show, which is set between 2016 and 2018 and follows Dre (Fishback) a devoted fan of the world’s biggest pop star who embarks on a cross-country journey.

Billie Eilish will make her acting debut in the series. Prime tweeted a clip of her guest appearance on Thursday (March 16).

Bailey guest stars as Dre’s sister, Marissa, while Idris plays Marissa’s boyfriend, Khalid. Rickey Thompson, Paris Jackson, Rory Culkin, Kiersey Clemons, Byron Bowers also appear in the series co-created and executive produced by Glover and Janine Nabers.

In an interview with Billboard, Fishback opened up about portraying Dre in the series. “I really wanted to stretch myself as an actor,” said the 31-year-old actress.

Glover directed the pilot episode and Nabers serves as showrunner. Stephen Glover, Fam Udeorji, Steven Prinz and Michael Schaefer are executive producers. Fishback is also a producer on the series.

Swarm premiered at the SXSW Film Festival on March 10. Keep reading for directions on how to stream the series for free on Prime Video.

Watch Swarm on Prime Video: How to Stream for Free from Anywhere

Swarm is an exclusive series available only on Prime Video. All seven episodes from season one are expected to drop Friday at 12:00 a.m. ET.

The show will stream at no additional charge for Prime members and Prime Video subscribers. If you’re already have Prime Video, click here to begin streaming the series when it drops on Friday.

Not a Prime member? Join today and unlock a free 30-day trial to stream Swarm and countless other programs in the mega-library of films, movies and TV shows including tons of other Prime Originals free of charge. Prime Video carries a massive collection of music shows and concerts such as Daisy Jones & The Six, The Weeknd x Dawn FM Experience, Pink! All I Know So Far and Kendrick Lamar Live from Paris: The Big Steppers Tour.

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Amazon Prime is $14.99 a month (or $139 a year) after the free trial ends. Aside from Prime Video, the membership includes free same-day, one-day or two-day delivery on your favorite items, exclusive deals for Prime members, two-hour grocery delivery, unlimited photo storage, Prime reading, Amazon Prime Music, Prime Gaming, savings on prescriptions and more. Additionally, Amazon Prime offers 50% off for qualifying students and EBT/Medicaid recipients. Prime Video is also available as a solo subscription for $9.99/month after a free trial.

Stream The Marvelous Ms. Maisel, Harlem, Invincible, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, Fairfax, Upload, The Wheel of Time, I Want You Back, The Boys, The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Fire, Fleabag and other Prime Video exclusives in addition to movie rentals from outside the Prime universe.

Prime Video allows members to stream content from other platforms including HBO Max, Paramount+, Starz, Showtime, Discovery+, BET+ and MGM+.

Watch the official trailer for Swarm below.

16 Mar 2023

Demi Lovato Is Directing a Documentary About Child Stardom

Demi Lovato has officially begun directing her very first feature film, Hulu shared on Thursday (March 16).

Along with Nicola Marsh, the pop star will co-direct Child Star, a Hulu Original documentary film that promises to “deconstruct the highs and lows of growing up in the spotlight through the lens of some of the world’s most famous former child stars,” according to a release.

“There is no better film or topic for my directorial debut than this story, which is close to home,” the Disney Channel alum said in a statement. “Our project sheds light on important messages about growing up in the public eye, learning to protect our boundaries, and becoming active advocates of our own destinies. I’m humbled to be able to learn from the individuals who have lived the unique experience of child stardom and share their stories in our film.”

The doc is currently scheduled to stream on Hulu sometime in 2024 and will also follow the paths of several other child stars in addition to Lovato reflecting on her childhood stardom in shows like Barney & Friends, As the Bell Rings, Sonny With a Chance and more.

Most recently, Lovato contributed “Still Alive” to the soundtrack for Scream VI. The track serves as the first follow-up to the nonbinary artist’s rock-heavy 2022 album Holy Fvck, which charted at No. 1 on the Top Rock & Alternative Albums, Top Rock Albums and Top Alternative Albums tallies upon its release last August and spawned the singles “Skin of My Teeth,” “Substance” and “29.”

16 Mar 2023

Lewis Capaldi Shines in Trailer for Netflix Documentary ‘How I’m Feeling Now’

Netflix unveiled the trailer for its new Lewis Capaldi documentary, Lewis Capaldi: How I’m Feeling Now, on Thursday (March 16).

The film promises a behind-the-scenes look at the Divinely Inspired to a Hellish Extent singer’s meteoric rise to fame with his No. 1 hit “Someone You Loved,” as well as the impact the success as taken on his mental health.

“I think I’ve never been more insecure in my life than I am now,” he admits in the supercut. “And I think that’s got worse the more successful I’ve got.”

Later, the singer confesses he felt a remarkable amount of “tension all the time” to deliver a worthy follow-up to his 2019 breakout album. (“You get your whole life to write your first album, and a year or six months to write your second … The clock’s ticking,” he points out.)

The rest of the trailer follows Capaldi on the journey to improve his mental health, all as he feels the weight of everyone depending on him to continue his career. “You can only be the next best thing for, like, a year,” he says. “Of course there’s pressure … I’ll probably f–k up, but we’ll have a good time while we do it.”

Earlier this month, the Scottish crooner was forced to postpone a pair of shows in Zurich and Milan due to a doctor’s orders that he take at least three days rest to recover from a case of bronchitis.

Lewis Capaldi: How I’m Feeling Now is slated to premiere on Netflix on April 5. Watch the full trailer below.

16 Mar 2023

Blink-182, Def Leppard Funko Pops & More: Here’s What’s on Sale for Walmart’s Collector Con 2023

Calling all collectors! Walmart Collector Con kicks off on Thursday (March 16) and continues until Friday (March 17).

The two-day event features dozens of epic figurines and other collectibles for fans of Star Wars, Marvel, Funko, LEGO, Barbie, Pokemon, WWE and more, including pre-orders, new releases and Walmart Exclusives.

For LEGO lovers, Walmart Collector Con curated a list of affordable and splurge-worthy building kits such as LEGO Stars Wars and Marvel items ranging from around $15 up to $600.

See latest videos, charts and news

The lot of collectibles featured on the first day includes LEGO Marvel Thanos Mech Armour Avengers Set ($14.90), Star Wars The Razor Crest Ultimate Collector’s Series Starship Model Kit ($599) and LEGO Marvel Black Panther T’Challa Model Building Kit, which is on sale for $299 (regular $349.99).

Music fans can get their hands on cool exclusives such as the Funko! Pop Album Deluxe: Def Leppard Vinyl Set and the Blink-182 Funko Pop! Album Deluxe: Blink-182 Enema of The State Vinyl Figures (2022 Limited Edition Walmart Exclusive), which are on sale for $25.

Other music-related collector’s items include the best-selling Tina Turner Barbie ($109), the Barbie Signature Elvis Presley Doll ($46.99) and a Barbie Rewind ’80s Edition Doll ($26.10), which comes complete with a hot pink boom box, translucent keytar and microphone.

Purchase the Walmart exclusive, Blink-182 and Def Leopard Funko Pop! collectible sets below. Click here for additional product recommendations.

Funko Pop! Album Deluxe: Blink-182 Enema of The State Vinyl Figures (2022 Limited Edition Walmart Exclusive)

$25 $49.88 50% off% OFF

The Enema of the State Pop! Albums Deluxe collectible commemorates the 1999 release of Blink-182’s chart-topping album and features mini figurines of band members Mark Hoppus, Travis Barker and Tom DeLonge. The vinyl figurines measure approximately 4-inches tall and stand on platforms around a record-backdrop next to a replica of the Enema of the State album cover. This collectible comes in a prepackaged case (measuring 23.5 wide x 12.25-inches tall and a 3.75-inch depth) that can be hung on the wall or displayed in your music collection.

Funko Pop! Album Deluxe: Def Leppard Hysteria Vinyl Figures (2022 Limited Edition Walmart Exclusive)

$25 $49.88 50% off% OFF

Rock out with this collection of Def Leppard Pops! Joe Elliott, Rick Allen, Rick Savage, Steve Clark and Phil Collen are featured in the Hysteria Pop! Albums Deluxe collectible honoring the 1987 release of the best-selling Hysteria album. The 4-inch figurines stand on platforms centered around a record-backdrop and a recreation of the Hysteria album cover. Like the Blink-182 collectible, Def Leppard Hysteria vinyl figures are designed to hang on the wall or display on a bookshelf, table, desk and other flat surfaces.

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