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SOS — Benny Blanco‘s banana pudding is so good, SZA couldn’t Ctrl herself around it. During an appearance on the Monday (April 29) episode of SiriusXM’s The Sporkful podcast, the producer told host Dan Pashman about the time the “Kill Bill” singer ate an entire tray of his banana pudding while they were supposed to be working on music together.
“We were at my house, and she went down to get a drink and she saw something in the fridge,” Blanco recalled. “She had one bite. It was in a big like sheet tray. And then by the end of the day, there was no more banana pudding left.”
“She would just, like, sneak down for bites,” he continued. “And then every time she came to the studio, she needed a banana pudding. Then it was like, ‘Oh, wait, what else do you make?’ Then it was like, lasagna … We wound up cooking more than making music, you know?”
Trending on Billboard
The “Eastside” musician — who worked on “Nobody Gets Me” and “Special” on SZA’s 2022 Billboard 200-topping album SOS — also revealed that he and the R&B-pop star now have a “bartering system” when it comes to food and music. “There was a time when SZA said, ‘I’m not coming over unless you have spicy rigatoni cooked for me,’” Blanco said. “And she was, like, halfway joking, but halfway serious. ‘Cause I’ll bark demands at her. I’ll be like, ‘We need to get this vocal done.’ And she’s like, ‘We need to eat the spicy rigatoni!’”
The new interview comes ahead of Blanco’s new cookbook Open Wide, which hits shelves Tuesday (April 30). While promoting the project in a Wall Street Journal interview last week, the hitmaker gushed about how he and his girlfriend, singer-actress Selena Gomez, like to bond over their passion for food and enjoy making dinners for their families.
Blanco also told the publication that he was the “last one to know” he was in love with the Rare Beauty founder. “It’s crazy how your partner could just be sitting there the whole time, right in front of your eyes, and you don’t even notice,” he recalled. “Then you have that Clueless moment where you’re like, ‘Wait, I’m in love.’”
Later, he told SiriusXM that he and Gomez have not yet gone on a double date with Taylor Swift, the Only Murders in the Building star’s longtime best friend, and Travis Kelce — but he has bumped into the “Anti-Hero” singer recently. “I just saw [Swift] at [Los Angeles restaurant] Sushi Park a week ago,” he said. “I ran into her right before Coachella a week ago.”
Listen to Blanco talk about SZA enjoying his banana pudding below.
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
The 2024 Olympics will see the best of the best athletes complete to win the gold and to celebrate, Reese’s has teamed up with Team USA again. Whether or not you’ve scored travel deals to watch the games in person in Paris, the candy brand wants to make you feel like a winner with the release of new chocolate-shaped Reese medals.
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This is the first summer shape that Reese’s has ever released, but it will only be around for a limited-time. You can buy Reese’s Medals in stores or you can order the chocolate and peanut butter snack through online retailers like Amazon, Walmart and Target.
Trending on Billboard
The chocolate medals are available in single packs, king size bars and bags, with prices starting as low as $2. Just like all of Reese’s limited-edition seasonal shapes though, you’ll only be able to enjoy this chocolate medal for a short period of time. To help you stock up on your own Team USA-approved sweet treats, we put the snacks below for you to buy now.
Reeses Peanut Butter Milk Chocolate Medals
$34.59
$26.85
$29.99
10% off
Rather than indulge in just one piece of Reese’s Medals, you can pick up a two-pound bag of the chocolates. Each one contains the snack-sized candy individually wrapped in a special-edition foil.
If you don’t want an entire bag of Reese’s Medals, there are also smaller options you can buy online.
Reese’s Milk Chocolate & Peanut Butter Medals Bar King
Treat yourself to the king-sized Reese’s Medals, which come with multiple pieces of the candy so you can have one now and another later — or, if you’re feeling generous you can share it with a friend.
The official campaign for the summer-themed candy is titled “Legend vs. Newcomer” and aims to spotlight U.S. Olympic and Paralympic gold medalists and hopefuls, including U.S. Olympic soccer gold medalist Alex Morgan, U.S. Paralympic para swimming gold medalist Jessica Long, U.S. Olympic soccer hopeful Sophia Smith and U.S. Paralympic para swimming hopeful Haven Shepherd.
How to Watch the 2024 Olympics
This year, the 2024 Olympics will commence on Friday (July 26) and you have the option to livestream the games and events through NBC’s official streaming platform, Peacock. If you’d prefer to watch through live TV streamers, there are some affordable streaming options that’ll provide you access to channels including NBC, USA Network, E! and the Golf Channel, which are all covering the 2024 Olympics.
Check below to see the official Reese’s Medals campaign video.
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All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes. Hayley Kiyoko has cooked up a spicy take on the utility fashion trend as the face of Taco Bell and Wildfang’s […]
Whether it’s albums or baked goods, everyone loves Taylor’s Version. Days after Andy Reid revealed that Taylor Swift baked homemade Pop-Tarts for Travis Kelce and the rest of the Kansas City Chiefs offensive line, the official toaster-treat brand has called on the singer to share her recipe — and it’s going to great lengths to […]
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes. The 2024 Super Bowl is fast approaching, which means for those who don’t have tickets to the big game, you’re most […]
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
Addison Rae is entering her Nerds era as she takes on the role of dance coach in a new teaser leading up to the candy brand’s debut Super Bowl commercial.
The NFL Playoffs kicked off Jan. 20, and as the teams battle it out to see who heads to the Super Bowl 2024, Nerds is prepping for their first commercial appearance at the Big Game. To help them put on a memorable performance, the “2 Die 4” singer was tapped to teach a mystery guest some choreography to Irene Cara‘s iconic “What a Feeling,” which was a dream for Rae, whose musical influences include pop legends Prince, Katy Perry, Janet Jackson, Britney Spears and Madonna.
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“I am such a big fan of the song, and growing up a dancer, it’s just a song you always hear and love and reference,” Rae says in an interview with Billboard. “I got to have the honor of coaching the lead star to do something to this amazing song. [It’s a] huge dream.”
Addison Rae x Nerds Collab
UNIT9 Films
Both Rae and her friend and choreographer Marissa Heart teamed up to create an exciting piece of choreography that also allowed her to tap into a bit of childhood nostalgia.
“We worked together on creating something fun and true to dance at its core, and it just made it super fun to be with someone that I know and love on set, and also be doing something that I love,” she says. “I literally ate so many Nerds on set. I feel like my childhood self is coming to life and has unlimited access to sweets.”
Within the teaser, you can see the TikTok star show off her dancing skills while providing motivation and critique to the unknown star of the upcoming commercial. Her training snack of choice? Nerds Gummy Clusters, which also is how she would describe her 2024 era.
“Honestly, I’m in my Nerds Gummy Cluster era: I’m soft on the inside, but got to be a little bit guarded sometimes going into the year, protecting my soft center,” Rae says in an interview with Billboard.
Amazon
Nerds Gummy Clusters Candy
Within each bag of Nerds Gummy Clusters are sweet and chewy candy pieces that feature a gummy center coated with beloved hard Nerds candies. You can choose from a variety of flavors, including Rainbow, Very Berry and more.
The official commercial is set to air Feb. 11 before the 2024 Super Bowl halftime show for 30 seconds during the second quarter of the game. Until then, the Nerds teaser can keep you guessing as to who the unseen star of the video will be and whether Rae will make an appearance in the official commercial.
Check below to see Rae in the Nerds Super Bowl commercial teaser.
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All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes. No matter what time of the year it is, surprising that special someone with a box of chocolates — even if […]
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Source: Christopher Polk / Getty / Keith Lee
TikTok food influencer Keith Lee has the power to help a local food establishment with his reviews. So you can imagine New Yorkers were excited when he announced the next stop on his tour was NYC, but that excitement turned to confusion at some of the food items he was reviewing.
New York social media was dumbfounded when Keith Lee hopped on his TikTok, eating a salmon chopped cheese, a “dry” bacon, egg and cheese, and pizza from Manhattan to kick off his highly anticipated visit to NYC.
The former MMA Fighter turned TikTok star kicked off his NYC visit by stopping at Taste Budz Deli in Queens, telling his 15.4 million followers, “Me and my family are in New York, fresh out the plane when I got this DM,” showing the recommendation from someone to the try unusual sandwich called the “2 Smoove” and that it was the “best salmon chopped cheese I ever had.”
“It’s a little salty in my opinion, but it’s good, tastes exactly like what it is, seasoned salmon, with a bunch of sauce, tomato, and some lettuce,” Lee said about the eyebrow-raising take on the bodega special. “I’m not mad at this, but I’m also not crazy about it: 7.5 out of 10.
Lee also ate a regular chopped cheese sandwich, giving it an 8 out of 10, while the bacon, egg, and cheese got a low 4 out of 10.
New Yorkers Were Big Mad At The Salmon Chopped Cheese Sandwich
As expected, the video has amassed over 4 million views, and the comments were full of New Yorkers perplexed at someone having the audacity to recommend a salmon chopped cheese sandwich.
“And what is a SALMON CHOPPED CHEESE ?!! We being sabotaged,” one comment under the video read.
TikToker with the handle @_thecomedian asked in a video stitch response, “Who told Keith Lee to get a salmon chopped cheese?” adding, “Since when did people start making salmon chopped cheese?”
That’s a question we all want the answer to.
“No, no, why are y’all gonna start freestyling when he comes to our city?” he continued in his video. “I’m not gonna lie, fish at the deli is crazy, insane, astronomical, bananas. B-A-N-A-N-A-S.”
Even though the disgust was real, so was the “Keith Lee effect.” Gothamist reports that the Taste Budz Deli’s owner claims sales were up 40%, and orders for the “2 Smoove” doubled after Lee’s visit.
“It was definitely a great surprise and that we were the first stop in his New York City tour,” Riley revealed. “He was able to get that publicity, so he definitely helped with that. We’re looking forward to it the weekend, really.”
Lee’s Questionable Pizza Choices
The salmon chopped cheese wasn’t the only thing that upset New Yorkers. In a second video, Lee reviewed pizza from three Manhattan pizzerias: Joe’s Pizza, Prince Street Pizza, and Bleecker Street Pizza.
Any real New Yorker was not surprised by the results, with Lee not being too impressed with any of the pizza he ate, with Prince Street Pizza earning a 7.7 out of 10.
TikTokers were again unhappy with Lee’s decision. TikToker Taylor Michelle said in a response video, “First we were in Queens for a bacon, egg, and cheese,” she said in a video uploaded Friday. “Now we in Manhattan for slices of pizza? I’m lost, I’m confused, please, someone get this man a tour guide, please.”
Keith Lee Did Get Some Better Recommendations
Lee did salvage his NYC visit when he got better recommendations from @righteouseats, a local foodie account run by Brian Lee and Jaeki Cho to advocate for “mom & pop, immigrant, minority, & BIPOC owned businesses.”
Taste of Heaven, a soul food restaurant located in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, got a visit from Lee and his family where they tried dishes like jerk ribs that amazed him by how the meat fell off the bone, and rice and peas, which he said were the most seasoned he has ever eaten.
After devouring his delicious meal, Lee praised Taste of Heaven, giving the dishes ratings between 8.7 and 9.4 out of 10.
He went into the restaurant and left $1,500 to cover everyone’s orders in line.
He also brought his food-tasting talents to d Aunts et Uncle, a vegan restaurant in Brooklyn, and Tamarind Island, a roti shop in Queens.
“The food was so good, we decided as a family to leave a tip,” Lee said about Tamarind Island.
No word on where Lee and his family are going next, but we can’t wait to see the reactions.
Until then, you can see more reactions to Lee’s NYC visit in the gallery below.
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Photo: Christopher Polk / Getty
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
Cardi B and Patti LaBelle are encouraging you to get in the holiday spirit with a pretty sweet collaboration — and no it’s not a new song. Instead, the two have combined their dessert brands — Whipshots (vodka-infused whipped cream) and Good Life pies — for some boozy desserts that’ll add some spice to your Friendsgiving and beyond.
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Rather than pick up a bottle of musician-owned alcohol, the two stars are appealing to your sweet tooth through a social media campaign that kicked off on Thursday (Nov. 9). In a minute-and-a-half video, the Grammy-winning artists share holiday traditions while mixing the flavors of their desserts to create some iconic pairings.
“Let’s do pumpkin,” Cardi B tells LaBelle in a video posted on X (formerly known as Twitter) as she picks up a can of her Pumpkin Spice Whipshots to top LaBelle’s sweet potato pie. “Pumpkin for sweet potato?” the Godmother of Soul questioned. The “Bongos” rapper reassured her by saying, “They make love together — you gotta trust me.”
WHIPSHOTS + PATTI PIE? A heavenly match!🥂❤️New holiday traditions start now! @iamcardib and @MsPattiPatti got together to celebrate the holidays and we’re still not over it. Get in the holiday spirit and stay tuned for daily episodes of our Holiday Harmony series next week pic.twitter.com/pzuzUDQfnY— Whip_Shots (@Whip_Shots) November 9, 2023
This won’t be the only taste fans get of the two together: The collaboration will span seven sitcom-inspired episodes of the stars concocting pairings your sweet tooth will be craving even after the holidays are over.
LaBelle’s Good Life Pies are available on Walmart, while Cardi B’s Whipshots can be found where most alcohol is sold, including Total Wine, DoorDash, GoPuff, Drizly, Albertsons and Vons.
Keep reading to shop the first featured combo below.
Total Wine
Whipshots Pumpkin Spice
Top off your coffee, hot chocolate, pies and more with this pumpkin spice vodka-infused whipped cream. Each can comes with 10% ABV to help spike your drink or food of choice. The brand also recommends you don’t refrigerate it.
Walmart
Patti LaBelle 8-Inch Sweet Potato Pie
Whether you’re hosting a dinner party or are craving something sweet, this sweet potato pie will help fill you with its flaky crust and creamy filling. Each 8-inch pie can serve up to five people depending on how you slice and serve it.
Want to get a jump start on creating your own mouth-watering combinations? Other whipped cream flavors you can try include vanilla, mocha, lime, caramel and the limited-edition peppermint flavor Whipshots.
For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best musician-owned wines, musician cookbooks and cocktail books.
Move over, mayochup! There is a wackier, trendier condiment combo in town, and it’s all thanks to Taylor Swift. Over the weekend, the “Anti-Hero” singer made waves when she attended the Kansas City Chiefs’ football game in light of her rumored romance with tight end Travis Kelce, and her choice of condiments for her game […]
