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Billy Joel’s daughter is speaking out in support of her father following his recent health diagnosis.
Alexa Ray Joel — the daughter of the “Piano Man” and his ex-wife, model Christie Brinkley — took to Instagram on Sunday (May 25) to thank fans for their support and share an uplifting message after her father revealed he had been diagnosed with normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH), a type of brain disorder.
“SOUND UP 🕊️ We love you and we got you, Pop!” Alexa wrote alongside a black-and-white illustration of a father holding his young daughter’s hand. “I just wanted to thank you all for the beautiful outpouring of love and support amid the recent news of My Father’s health diagnosis.”
She continued, “My Dad is the strongest and most resilient man I’ve ever known… and he’s entirely committed to making a full recovery with ongoing physical-therapy treatments as he continues to regain his strength.”
Last week, Joel announced the cancellation of all upcoming performances due to complications related to NPH.
“This condition has been exacerbated by recent concert performances, leading to problems with hearing, vision and balance,” he said in a statement. “Under his doctor’s instructions, Billy is undergoing specific physical therapy and has been advised to refrain from performing during this recovery period. Billy is thankful for the excellent care he is receiving and is fully committed to prioritizing his health.”
The cancellations include several scheduled appearances throughout summer and fall 2025, as well as early 2026, including joint shows with Sting, Rod Stewart, and Stevie Nicks.
Alexa Ray concluded her message with a touching quote from her father’s 1993 ballad, “Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel),” from his River of Dreams album.
“The genuine care, empathy, and concern from everyone means so much to him… it means a lot to me, too,” she wrote. “‘Someday We’ll All Be Gone / But Lullabies Go On And On / They Never Die / That’s How You And I Will Be.’ ⚓️ The music continues…”
A singer, songwriter and pianist in her own right, Alexa Ray has shared the stage with her father on several occasions, including shows in recent years during his historic residency at New York’s Madison Square Garden.
Christie Brinkley, Alexa’s mother, also shared a message of support for her ex-husband on Saturday (May 24).
“Dear Billy, the whole Brinkley gang is sending you lots of love and good wishes for a full and speedy recovery,” she wrote on Instagram. “I’m sure I’m speaking for everyone in that room when I say please take good care of yourself, we all want you back in that white hot spotlight, you’re OUR piano man.”
See Alexa Ray’s full tribute to her father on Instagram here.
OneRepublic are heading back Down Under. The GRAMMY-nominated band led by Ryan Tedder will return to Australia and New Zealand in early 2026 for their Sweet Escape Tour, joined by Swedish pop powerhouse Zara Larsson.
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The tour kicks off at Auckland’s Spark Arena on Feb. 4, followed by stops at Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena (Feb. 6), Gold Coast’s HOTA Outdoors (Feb. 11), Brisbane’s Riverstage (Feb. 12), Melbourne’s Sidney Myer Music Bowl (Feb. 15), and wrapping at Perth’s RAC Arena (Feb. 18). In addition to the headline shows, OneRepublic will also appear at Lookout Festival in Lake Macquarie on Feb. 7 and Torquay on Feb. 14.
Known for their cinematic pop anthems, OneRepublic’s return comes off the back of their sixth studio album Artificial Paradise, released in 2025, featuring tracks like “Hurt,” “Sink or Swim,” and their recent collab with Kygo, “Chasing Paradise.”
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The band’s extensive catalogue includes global hits like “Counting Stars,” “Apologize,” “Good Life,” and their Top Gun: Maverick smash “I Ain’t Worried,” which has now surpassed 3 billion streams globally.
Over the years, OneRepublic has carved out an impressive Billboard chart legacy. Their breakout single “Apologize,” with Timbaland, peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2007, remaining on the chart for 47 weeks. In 2013, “Counting Stars” also reached No. 2, spending a massive 68 weeks on the chart. Other notable entries include “Good Life” (No. 8 peak), “All The Right Moves” (No. 18), and “Secrets” (No. 21).
Joining them on the road is Zara Larsson, making her highly anticipated live debut in the region. With a platinum-selling discography that includes “Lush Life,” “Symphony,” and “Never Forget You,” Larsson’s addition to the lineup promises a night of powerhouse vocals and pop precision. She’s expected to preview new material from her upcoming fourth international album, teased by recent single “Pretty Ugly.”
Presales begin May 28, with general on-sale kicking off May 30 at 2 p.m. local time. Visit livenation.com.au or livenation.co.nz for more information.
Australian Lorde fans are undoubtedly asking themselves “What Was That” after the New Zealand pop icon crashed a Sydney nightclub hosting a party dedicated to the musician.
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Lorde, who is heading toward the release of new album Virgin next month, is currently in Australia as part of the record’s promo trail. Her time in the country also happened to coincide with a special event hosted by Sydney venue Mary’s Underground.
Dubbed What Was That: A Club Night Dedicated to Lorde, the event took place on Sunday (May 25) with Australian DJ Xeimma behind the decks to spin the Kiwi musician’s hits. “We’re officially in the L4 era, so it’s only right we throw a party for our true Lorde & saviour!” the venue wrote on social media.
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However, footage from the event shows that Mary’s Underground also welcomed a special guest to the event, with Lorde herself showing up to bask in the festivities.
Appearing with no fanfare at all, Lorde can be seen within the crowd where only a couple of attendees recognized her, shaking her hand and exchanging pleasantries. However, after being noticed by a couple of other audience members, the club exploded into chaos as the musician was thrust into the spotlight.
As the event unfolded, Lorde soon found herself up on the stage, dancing along to her songs with other fans, and even setting up behind Xeimma’s DJ booth as fans kept their focus on her. “Still in disbelief. Feeling unbelievably grateful to Lorde for making this a night we’ll talk about for years,” Xeimma wrote on Instagram after the event.
“It’s official – Lorde came to my party on 25 May 2025,” she added. “After years of throwing events, this was one of the most rewarding nights of my life. Completely unmatched.”
Lorde recently launched into her latest era with the release of “What Was That” on April 24, with Virgin scheduled to arrive on June 27.
Last week, on May 19, Lorde shared the artwork to her next single, “Man Of The Year,” which she noted will arrive at an unspecified date this week. “An offering from really deep inside me,” she said of the track. “The song I’m proudest of on Virgin.”
Demi Lovato and Jordan ‘Jutes’ Lutes are married. The couple were wed in a ceremony in California on Sunday (May 25), the newlyweds confirmed to Vogue.
Lovato and Lutes said “I do” at around 4 p.m. PT on Sunday, according the outlet, which got an exclusive first reveal of the pop star’s Vivienne Westwood wedding dress. (See Lovato’s wedding gown here.)
Calling herself a longtime fan of Vivienne Westwood, Lovato opted for a custom-designed, corset bodice dress made from heavy silk satin fabric — paired with a cathedral-style veil made from ivory tulle — for her wedding ceremony. The bride’s hair was styled in soft waves.
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As Lovato told Vogue, “When I was thinking about [what dress style I wanted], I often found myself coming back to Vivienne’s designs — specifically how the silhouettes really compliment the curves in your body, and her use of corsets.”
Lovato changed into another Vivienne Westwood dress for their reception: “The Audrey,” an ivory silk satin column dress with a draped corset top and pearls cascading from the neckline, each strand “draped and attached by hand, one by one,” she said.
Just hours before the wedding, TMZ published paparazzi pictures of the bride and groom’s rehearsal from Saturday.
The wedding festivities, which were overseen by event planner Mindy Weiss, were long-awaited for the couple, who made their relationship public in August 2022 and got engaged on Dec. 16, 2023.
“Jordan, I cannot WAIT to marry you!!” Lovato gushed in a message to Jutes on Valentine’s Day, sharing a romantic set of photos from an Old Hollywood-style shoot with her then-fiancé on Instagram. “The past 3 years have been the best 3 years of my life and I have you to thank for that. I’m obsessed with your heart, your love and your light. I can’t wait to grow old with you and start a family together. Happy Valentine’s Day to the love of my life. I love you honey!!!”
Jutes matched the bride-to-be’s sentiments in a caption on his Instagram page, writing, “happy valentine’s day to the love of my life. words will never do you justice, and I’ll never stop feeling like the luckiest guy alive. there’s no better feeling than being loved by you. I adore you baby and I can’t wait to marry you.”
The duo have worked together on music, with Jutes contributing as a co-writer on three tracks that appeared on Lovato’s Holy Fvck album, which reached No. 7 on the Billboard 200 albums chart upon its release in 2022.
Britney Spears is speaking out after making headlines for lighting a cigarette during a recent flight. On Thursday (May 22), the 43-year-old pop star lit a cigarette aboard a JSX public charter flight and was asked to extinguish it by a flight attendant, according to People. Smoking on airplanes is a violation of federal aviation […]
Sophie Turner seems to be streaming her ex’s new album. The actress posted Joe Jonas‘ Music for People Who Believe in Love on Saturday (May 24) in an Instagram Story, where she also shared a note of support for his latest solo release.
“Go go @joejonas,” Turner wrote on the post, which showed an image of the album on Spotify and tagged her ex-husband’s Instagram profile.
Her reaction to Music for People Who Believe in Love‘s release comes after the former couple — who co-parent their two children, four-year-old Willa and two-year-old Delphine — finalized their divorce in September 2024. Jonas, who outside of his solo endeavors is one third of the Jonas Brothers, met Turner in 2016. They were wed in 2019.
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Though Jonas and Turner initially had a disagreement over custody, they voluntarily entered into a confidential parenting plan and separation agreement that was in the best interest of the family, a judge declared on final judgement paperwork for the divorce, dated Sept. 6, 2024.
“After four wonderful years of marriage we have mutually decided to amicably end our marriage,” they said in a joint statement that first announced their split in 2023. “There are many speculative narratives as to why but, truly this is a united decision and we sincerely hope that everyone can respect our wishes for privacy for us and our children.”
Turner later said the breakup “was incredibly sad.” “We had a beautiful relationship, and it was hard,” she told Harper’s Bazaar.
Music for People Who Believe in Love was released on Friday (May 23) via Republic Records. The set is Jonas’ second studio album as a solo artist, following 2011’s Fastlife, and features the singles “Work It Out,” “What This Could Be” and “Heart By Heart.”
Working on the personal project “was scary at times, and also freeing,” Jonas told Billboard last summer. “I’m not trying to come for anyone on this album. I’m not trying to put stuff on blast. I have a beautiful life that I’m grateful for. I’ve got two beautiful kids. I’m a happy person, and the music needed to resemble that — but also, the journey to get here.”
Justin Bieber made a rare onstage appearance with SZA during her concert at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., on May 23.
The surprise collaboration took place during the second Los Angeles stop of SZA and Kendrick Lamar’s co-headlining Grand National Tour, which launched in April.
Bieber, who is currently working on new music, stunned the packed crowd as he joined the five-time Grammy nominee for a flirty rendition of “Snooze.” The pop superstar previously featured on the acoustic remix of the track, originally released on SZA’s 2022 sophomore album, SOS.
Wearing an all-black ensemble topped with a Balenciaga jacket, Bieber traded verses with SZA, kissed her hand multiple times, and danced with her throughout the sultry performance.
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The singer’s wife, Hailey Bieber, showed her support by sharing a clip of the moment on her Instagram Story, captioning it, “My 2 favorite artists.”
“Snooze” earned SZA her second No. 1 on Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart in July 2023, and also topped the Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay tally.
The unplugged version of the track featuring Bieber dropped in September 2023. The music video also stars Young Mazino, Woody McClain and Benny Blanco.
This isn’t Bieber’s first time performing “Snooze” live. In February 2024, he attempted a solo rendition during a surprise appearance at the NHL All-Star Draft in Toronto, according to Rolling Stone. Friday’s performance at SoFi Stadium marked the first time Bieber and SZA have performed the song live together.
Bieber has made several surprise appearances at concerts in recent years, including a performance of “Private Landing” at Don Toliver’s L.A. show in October 2024, and a cameo during Tems and Wizkid’s Coachella 2024 set to perform the “Essence” remix. He hasn’t played a full solo concert since September 2022.
During the first night of the Grand National Tour’s Los Angeles stop on Wednesday (May 21), SZA brought out surprise guest Lizzo for a live performance of their “Special” remix. SZA and Lamar are set to play one final show at SoFi Stadium on Saturday.
Roger Nichols, best-known for co-writing such Carpenters hits as “We’ve Only Just Begun,” “Rainy Days and Mondays” and “I Won’t Last a Day Without You” with lyricist Paul Williams, died on May 17. He was 84.
Williams confirmed Nichols’ death in an extended, and deeply affectionate, post on Instagram. Williams didn’t list a cause of death, though he reported the basic circumstances of the death. “Roger Nichols passed away peacefully four days ago, at home with his beautiful family …his wife Terry and the daughters he was so proud of, Claire and Caitlin at his side.” (See full text of Williams Instagram post below.)
Nichols signed as an artist to A&M Records in 1968, a year before Karen and Richard Carpenter were signed to the Los Angeles-based label. His debut album Roger Nichols and the Small Circle of Friends was produced by Tommy LiPuma, engineered by Bruce Botnick, and featured session contributions from Van Dyke Parks, Randy Newman and Lenny Waronker. Although the album failed to crack the Billboard 200, A&M co-founder Herb Alpert thought there was something there and recommended that Nichols be hired by A&M’s publishing company as a staff songwriter. It was during this period that he was introduced to Williams.
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That was a characteristically astute call on Alpert’s part. Williams and Nichols were one of the hottest pop songwriting teams of the early 1970s.
Williams and Nichols took off as songwriters in the fall of 1970, when they had two songs in the top 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 at the same time. On the charts dated Oct. 17 and 24, Carpenters’ version of “We’ve Only Just Begun,” a ballad which had originated as “soft-sell” commercial for Crocker-Citizens National Bank, was in the top five (on its way to a No. 2 peak). Three Dog Night’s “Out in the Country” was holding at its No. 15 peak.
The Carpenters smash, an instant standard, was lushly romantic. The Three Dog Night hit was a fresh-sounding mix of pop, rock and folk. Having two simultaneous hits by two different acts in two different styles caught the industry’s attention. “We’ve Only Just Begun” went on to receive two Grammy nominations – for song of the year and best contemporary song — at the first live Grammy telecast in March 1971. (It lost both awards to Paul Simon’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water.”)
Williams and Nichols continued writing songs for the Carpenters, including “Rainy Days and Mondays,” a superb and remarkably adult ballad which reached No. 2 (it took Carole King’s letter-perfect “It’s Too Late” to keep it out of the top spot), “Let Me Be the One” (another first-rate ballad that the duo never got around to releasing as a single), and “I Won’t Last a Day Without You,” a 1972 album track that was finally released as a single in 1974, when it climbed to No. 11.
Barbra Streisand covered “I Won’t Last a Day Without You” on her ButterFly album later in 1974. On her following album, Lazy Afternoon, she recorded another Williams-Nichols song, “I Never Had It So Good.” Both of those albums went gold.
Art Garfunkel recorded a tender Williams-Nichols song, “Traveling Boy,” for his first solo album, 1973’s Angel Clare, which made the top 10 on the Billboard 200. The song was released as the third single from the album, and bubbled under the Hot 100.
Nichols also had some successes with other collaborators. He teamed with William Lane to write “Times of Your Life,” which Paul Anka recorded in 1975. Like “We’ve Only Just Begun,” this song was also adapted from a popular TV commercial – for Kodak. Anka’s recording reached No 7 on the Hot 100 in February 1976.
Nichols retired soon afterwards, but his songs live on. R.E.M. covered “Out in the Country” as a B-side for their 2003 single “Bad Day.” Rumer covered “Traveling Boy” on her 2012 album Boys Don’t Cry.
Nichols was honored during Florida Chapter Presents The Recording Academy Honors 2006 at Loews Miami Beach Hotel in Miami.
He was nominated for the Songwriters Hall of Fame on Nov. 12, for the class that will be inducted on June 12. He wasn’t elected (the competition is fierce every year), but the ballot listed the five songs that are probably his most famous and enduring: “We’ve Only Just Begun,” “Rainy Days and Mondays,” “I Won’t Last a Day Without You,” “Out in the Country,” “Times of Your Life”
In a comment on Williams’ Instagram post, Nichols’ daughter Claire wrote, “My mom, Terri, and my sisters, Caroline and Caitlin, are all so proud of the man he was, and are in awe of the legacy he leaves.”
Here’s the full text of Williams’ Instagram post announcing Nichols’ death.
“The first song, Roger Nichols and I wrote was called “it’s hard to say goodbye. “… Sadly, we hit the nail on the head. Roger Nichols passed away peacefully four days ago, at home with his beautiful family …his wife Terry and the daughters he was so proud of, Claire and Caitlin at his side. They were his dream come true. His greatest joy“Roger was my writing partner and my music school… a collaboratorfor years and a friend for life. I was an out of work actor looking for a career in music when I was signed by A&M records publishing. They were looking for a lyricist for Roger Nichols. An industrial strength, lucky break that changed my life.“We wrote almost every day for several years. He was as disciplined as he was talented. I had the attention span of a sea otter… I was ready for a break after three hours and Roger would plunge ahead for another four or five. The words were born of the beauty in his completed melodies.I wrote what I heard, note for note…word for word. The lyrics waiting in the emotion already in his music. He made it easy.“After many wonderful productive years, I wanted us to write songs for movies. He had another dream. He said I wanna go fishing … wanna go back to Montana. He smiled and said something about having a family and maybe making a home by a nice little river… it was clear that he was already gone. A few years ago, I visited him and met Terry and the girls at the house by the river …and I knew he found his dream.“One last story. Roger was really excited when his daughter Caitlin was getting married last September. He chuckled and asked, “can you picture me wheeling down the aisle in my wheelchair, holding my daughter’s hand?”“Of course, I said yes then …. and right now Roger, I can picture thousands of proud dads and their beautiful daughters that walked down the aisle to your gorgeous music or danced their father and daughter dance to We’ve only just begun… picture them standing and applauding what you brought to their lives and to mine. You brought love and beauty into this world, and we will never forget you.In gratitude with much love… Paul”
Camila Cabello took to social media on Friday (May 23) to mark her hit single “Never Be the Same” joining the Spotify Billions Club. “Never be the same is my 4th song to hit a BILLION STREAMS !!!!!!!,” she wrote on Instagram alongside a video of her performing the opening track from 2018’s Camila on […]
Forget twinks, bears and otters — are you a Nickelodeon gay or a Disney gay?
Thankfully, Miley Cyrus stopped by Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Thursday night (May 22) to break down the age-old queer tribal descriptors.
The topic came up when host Jimmy Kimmel asked the superstar about the last time she’d watched an episode of her iconic Disney Channel series Hannah Montana, which ran for four seasons from 2006 to 2011.
“I’m surrounded by gays,” Cyrus quipped. “And there’s a big difference in…there’s Nickelodeon gays and Disney gays.”
As Kimmel pressed her for the contrast between the two types, the singer continued, “Nickelodeon gays and Nickelodeon, no offense, but in general, they do like boogers and, you know, bro jokes. And Disney, I would like to think is a little bit more fabulous, especially if it’s about a teenage pop star wearing a wig, like being the most famous drag queen for kids ever.”
However, it seems that some of the unnamed gays in Miley’s orbit these days somehow weren’t familiar enough with her “Best of Both Worlds”-belting alter ego that first made her a household name. “I’m like, you’re gay and you don’t live for Hannah Montana? What’s wrong with you?” she joked. “So I introduced them to Hannah, and obviously they were gagged. They were obsessed with her. I was offended.”
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Throughout the 2000s, blossoming Disney gays were also blessed with plenty of other small-screen idols to look up to, including High School Musical‘s Sharpay Evans, London Tipton from The Suite Life of Zack and Cody and, of course, Zac Efron as iconic heartthrob Troy Bolton — all of whom hit the Disney Channel in roughly the same era as Hannah Montana.
And speaking of eras, Cyrus is ready to usher in her latest musical one with the release of her ninth studio album, Something Beautiful, which is set for May 30 via Columbia Records. To promote the LP, the pop star also debuted her new ballad “More to Lose” live for the first time during her Kimmel appearance and spilled some rather stomach-turning tea from the set of the cinematic visual album.
Watch Miley explain the Nickelodeon gays vs. Disney gays conundrum below.
