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Liam Payne‘s blood alcohol level was more than three times the limit allowed while driving in the United States at the time of the singer’s death from a 40-foot fall in Buenos Aires, Argentina in October. The results were included in a report from the National Criminal and Correctional Prosecutor’s Office No. 14 released on Friday, which showed that an autopsy found that the former One Direction member and solo star had “alcohol concentrations of up to 2.7 grams per liter in blood” at the time of his death.
While Payne, 31, was not driving at the time, for context, the legal blood alcohol content (BAC) in the U.S. for drivers over 21 is 0.08%; 2.7 grams per liter translates to 0.27% BAC, which is more than three times the U.S. driving limit.
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According to the American Addiction Centers’ Alcohol.org, that BAC can cause, “confusion, feeling dazed, and disorientation… Sensations of pain will change, so if you fall and seriously hurt yourself, you may not notice, and you are less likely to do anything about it.” Other potential effects include: blackouts, nausea, vomiting and impairment of the gag reflex, “which could cause choking or aspirating on vomit.”
The Cleveland Clinic also notes that while a BAC of 0.15%-0.30% can cause the above symptoms and drowsiness, Payne’s measured level was just below the BAC (0.30%-0.40%) that can cause alcohol poisoning, “a potentially life-threatening condition… [which can cause a] loss of consciousness.”
The Argentinian report noted that in addition to the dangerous BAC, the autopsy revealed that Payne — whose death it said was a result of “multiple trauma and internal and external bleeding” caused by a fall from a three-story hotel balcony — also had cocaine metabolites, methylecgonine, benzoylecgomine, cocaethylene and the medication sertraline (Zoloft).
The prosecutor’s office announced in November that a toxicology report said Payne had “alcohol, cocaine and prescription antidepressants” in his system when he died on Oct. 16.
Last week, an Argentinian court dropped charges of criminal negligence against three of the five people indicted in connection with Payne’s death. The court cleared the head receptionist at the CasaSur Hotel, Esteban Grassi, Argentinian-American businessman Rogelio Nores, a friend who accompanied Payne on the trip, and Gilda Martin, the hotel’s manager. Grassi made two emergency calls prior to the deadly accident, first reporting that a guest was “trashing the entire room” and later expressing concerns that the guest “may be in danger.”
In a recent Rolling Stone exposé, Payne’s former girlfriend, model Maya Henry, described the singer’s longtime struggles with depression and addiction, saying he became “someone unrecognizable” when he was using substances.
Frances Tiafoe never considered himself to be a Swiftie. But after the world’s No. 18-ranked tennis pro met Taylor Swift at a Kansas City Chief’s game at Arrowhead Stadium last November — where the singer was cheering on her boyfriend KC tight end Travis Kelce — he came away super impressed, and seemingly pretty buzzed.
In an interview with Tennis TV this week, Tiafoe revealed that not only is Taylor a great hang, she can also toss ’em back like a pro. “We go into this suite, and the first person we see in this suite is Taylor,” Tiafoe, 27, said of the game he attended with his girlfriend, Ayan Broomfield.
“We were drinking all day together. She was so cool. One of the most humble people for who she is. Super down to earth. Hopefully, we can do that again,” Tiafoe said, admitting he wasn’t a big fan of the singer before they met. “It’s crazy because, you know like, I’m not even saying I’m a Swiftie, but like, I appreciate greatness so much,” he admitted. “Seeing how cool she was, she’s got my ultimate respect.”
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Not only did they enjoy a few beverages, but singer/songwriter/actress/baker Swift also impressed Tiafoe by being “very knowledgable” about tennis, he said, noting that the singer told him she’d wanted to see him play in the final at last year’s U.S. Open, which he narrowly missed after losing in five sets to fellow American Taylor Fritz.
“And she was like, ‘Trav loves you,’” he added.
After wrapping her historic Eras Tour in December, and falling to the Eagles in this month’s Super Bowl LIX, Swift and Kelce, respectively, are seemingly taking some well-deserved time off to recharge.
Tate McRae is having a moment. With her latest album, So Close To What, surging toward the top of the Billboard 200, the singer-songwriter stopped by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Tuesday (Feb. 25) to reflect on her whirlwind year.
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During her chat with Fallon, McRae reflected on her first time performing with boyfriend and fellow singer, The Kid Laroi, who appears on her new album, as well as the shock of discovering her entire project had leaked weeks before release.
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McRae and Laroi’s collaboration, “I Know Love,” marks their first official duet, but the singer admitted to Fallon that singing together didn’t come as naturally as some might expect.
“It was a little nerve-wracking,” she told Fallon. “I mean, the first time we ever sang in front of each other was actually at my MSG show last year.”
She described the awkwardness of rehearsing for that moment. “You just, like, fake sing in front of each other all the time,” she said. “So, like, even when we were at our show last year, we were sitting in soundcheck like, ‘Are you going to sing first?’”
McRae laughed as she recalled their time in the studio together. “It was the same kind of situation in the studio. I was just like, ‘Can you, like, not listen?’”
Beyond the excitement of her new album and collaboration, McRae also opened up about a nightmare scenario for any artist—her album leaking weeks before its official release. “I was sitting in the bathtub, and I get a DM from one of my fans, and they were just like, ‘Here’s the link to the whole album,’” she revealed. “And it was like five weeks till the album was gonna drop.”
“I call my mom, call my therapist,” she admitted. “I mean, it’s just hard because I feel like it takes away all your control as an artist. You want to deliver your art exactly how you want it to come out.”
Despite the setback, McRae took the situation in stride. “I feel like we turned it around and added some more songs,” she said. “I think that’s the only thing you can really do in a situation like this, is just take advantage of it.”
Fallon then shifted gears, bringing up an unexpected feature on the album—Sydney Sweeney’s surprise cameo on So Close To What track “Miss Possessive.” “I was in Pilates and ran into Glen Powell,” McRae explained. “He was like, ‘Oh my God, I was just talking about you with Sydney Sweeney!’”
To her shock, Powell pulled out his phone to reveal that Sweeney had sent him a voice memo about McRae. “Sydney was like, ‘I’m obsessed with Tate McRae!’”
That moment led to McRae recruiting the Euphoria star for a voice cameo. “So, I got her to be on the song!” she said.
Millie Bobby Brown knows what it’s like to grow up under a microscope after catapulting to fame for her role in Netflix’s Stranger Things, so it’s no surprise she once felt a connection to pop icon Britney Spears, who also found herself navigating worldwide stardom as a teenager.
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While Brown has expressed interest in portraying the pop icon previously, she’s now making it clear: Spears’ story is one only Spears herself should tell.
Speaking at the Los Angeles premiere of The Electric State on Feb. 24, Brown revisited whether she’d like to play Spears in an upcoming biopic in an interview with Access Hollywood. “I mean, she is an absolute icon. I would love nothing more than to be a part of her story,” Brown said. “But that’s her story, and I am in full support of her bringing her story to life how she wants to.”
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Brown’s comments come after a 2022 appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show, where she first revealed that her “dream role” would be playing Spears on screen. At the time, she explained why she felt connected to the singer’s journey.
“Growing up in the public eye, watching her videos, watching interviews of her when she was young… I see the scramble for words,” she told Barrymore. “And I don’t know her, but when I look at pictures of her, I feel like I could tell her story in the right way — and hers only.”
The response from Spears was swift. The following day, the “Toxic” singer took to Instagram with a post many assumed was directed at Brown. “I hear about people wanting to do movies about my life… dude, I’m not dead!!!” she wrote.
Since then, Spears has taken control of her own narrative. Universal Pictures secured the rights to her best-selling memoir The Woman in Me and announced in August 2024 that a biopic was officially in development, directed by Wicked filmmaker Jon M. Chu.
Spears herself confirmed the news, writing on X, “Excited to share with my fans that I’ve been working on a secret project with #MarcPlatt. He’s always made my favorite movies … stay tuned.”
Meanwhile, The Electric State, Brown’s latest film, arrives on Netflix on March 14.
Chappell Roan is still dancing at the “Pink Pony Club!”
The superstar performed the anthemic hit at the 2025 Grammy Awards, just before taking home the best new artist award.
Following the performance, in February 2025, nearly two years after its release, “Pink Pony Club” hit the top 10 on the Hot 100, jumping from No. 18 to No. 9 and becoming Roan’s second career top 10 hit, and first from Midwest Princess.
Below, find the full lyrics of Chappell Roan’s “Pink Pony Club.”
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I know you wanted me to stayBut I can’t ignore the crazy visions of me in LAAnd I heard that there’s a special placeWhere boys and girls can all be queens every single day
I’m having wicked dreams of leaving TennesseeHear Santa Monica, I swear it’s calling meWon’t make my mama proud, it’s gonna cause a sceneShe sees her baby girl, I know she’s gonna scream
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God, what have you done?You’re a pink pony girlAnd you dance at the clubOh mama, I’m just having funOn the stage in my heelsIt’s where I belong down at the
Pink Pony ClubI’m gonna keep on dancing at thePink Pony ClubI’m gonna keep on dancing down inWest HollywoodI’m gonna keep on dancing at thePink Pony Club, Pink Pony Club
I’m up and jaws are on the floorLovers in the bathroom and a line outside the doorBlacklights and a mirrored disco ballEvery night’s another reason why I left it all
I thank my wicked dreams a year from TennesseeOh, Santa Monica, you’ve been too good to meWon’t make my mama proud, it’s gonna cause a sceneShe sees her baby girl, I know she’s gonna scream
God, what have you done?You’re a pink pony girlAnd you dance at the clubOh mama, I’m just having funOn the stage in my heelsIt’s where I belong down at the
Pink Pony ClubI’m gonna keep on dancing at thePink Pony ClubI’m gonna keep on dancing down inWest HollywoodI’m gonna keep on dancing at thePink Pony Club, Pink Pony Club
Don’t think I’ve left you all behindStill love you and TennesseeYou’re always on my mindAnd mama, every SaturdayI can hear your southern drawl a thousand miles away, saying
God, what have you done?You’re a pink pony girlAnd you dance at the clubOh mama, I’m just having funOn the stage in my heelsIt’s where I belong down at the
Pink Pony ClubI’m gonna keep on dancing at thePink Pony ClubI’m gonna keep on dancing down inWest HollywoodI’m gonna keep on dancing at thePink Pony Club, Pink Pony Club
I’m gonna keep on dancingI’m gonna keep on dancing
Lyrics licensed & provided by LyricFind
WRITERSDaniel Nigro, Kayleigh Rose AmstutzPUBLISHERSLyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Charli XCX will collect the songwriter of the year award at the upcoming BRIT Awards. The Brat star is the recipient of the honorary prize, which has previously been won by British acts Ed Sheeran (2022), Kid Harpoon (2023) and most recently, Raye (2024).
The BRIT Awards ceremony will take place Saturday (March 1) at London’s O2 Arena, and will be hosted by comedian Jack Whitehall. Performances on the night will come from Sabrina Carpenter, Sam Fender, Teddy Swims, Shaboozey and more.
Charli is also competing in five additional categories on the night, including album of the year and British artist of the year. The songwriter of the year prize gives Charli her first-ever BRIT Award win, having been nominated four times previously in 2015, 2020, 2023 and 2024.
Brat was named Billboard staff’s album of the year, with Kristin Robinson writing that the LP had “most exciting and culturally significant album launches in modern memory,” and catapulted “the longtime music maker into a new stratosphere of stardom.” The record peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200, and at No. 1 on the U.K.’s Official Albums Chart.
On Monday (Feb. 24), it was announced that A.G. Cook, Charli’s close collaborator and an executive producer on Brat, would collect the producer of the year prize. The trophy was first awarded in 1977 to Beatles producer George Martin, and in recent years has been won by Fred again.. (2020), Inflo (2022), David Guetta (2023) and Chase & Status (2024).
Speaking to Variety in 2020, Charli described her working relationship with Cook. “We really trust each other, and challenge and push each other in the right ways. And we’re also very smart and equally dumb, and I think that’s really important in pop music,” she shared. “A.G. will make a beat in a few minutes and I’ll yell over it, and even if it sounds crazy, we’re not afraid of sounding stupid because we know we can get there eventually.”
She continued, “We enjoy twisting formats and breaking rules but we also kind of like some rules; we’re a bit winky but we’re also very serious; we’re both fans of pop music but equally fans of wanting to disrupt things; and we like to dance around what people think we should be doing. So there’s enough tension and push and pull to make really interesting music.”
The BRIT Awards will be broadcast live on ITV and on streaming service ITV X from 8:15 p.m. GMT.
The second season of Netflix’s XO, Kitty makes major waves on Billboard’s Top TV Songs chart, powered by Tunefind (a Songtradr company), for January 2025, led by Jung Kook’s “Seven” at No. 1.
Rankings for the Top TV Songs chart are based on song and show data provided by Tunefind and ranked using a formula blending that data with sales and streaming information tracked by Luminate during the corresponding period of January 2025.
Jung Kook’s “Seven,” which features Latto, enjoyed a synch in the eighth and final episode of XO, Kitty’s second season, which premiered alongside the other seven episodes on Jan. 16. In fact, it’s one of two songs from that eighth episode; ENHYPEN’s “XO (Only If You Say Yes)” bows at No. 9.
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“Seven” earned 12.5 million official on-demand U.S. streams in January 2025 en route to its Top TV Songs coronation, according to Luminate. The tune became Jung Kook’s first Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 when it reigned for a week in July 2023 (it’s also Latto’s lone ruler to date).
In all, XO, Kitty boasts half of Top TV Songs’ 10 positions for January 2025. Chappell Roan’s “Picture You” is the next biggest at No. 3 (10.1 million streams), followed by Dua Lipa’s “Illusion” at No. 5 (5.9 million streams, 1,000 downloads).
Stay tuned for more potential XO, Kitty entries on the chart; the show was renewed in February for a third season.
The top non-XO, Kitty entry for January 2025 belongs to Apple TV+’s Severance, which returned for its second season beginning last month, with one episode premiering each week. It’s The Who’s “Eminence Front” that appears on the survey, entering at No. 2 via 3 million streams and 1,000 downloads after being heard in the third episode (Jan. 31).
“Eminence Front” peaked at No. 68 on the Hot 100 in January 1983.
See the full top 10, which also features music from Will Trent, The Recruit, Landman and High Potential, below.
Rank, Song, Artist, Show (Network)1. “Seven,” Jung Kook feat. Latto, XO, Kitty (Netflix)2. “Eminence Front,” The Who, Severance (Apple TV+)3. “Picture You,” Chappell Roan, XO, Kitty (Netflix)4. “50 Ways To Leave Your Lover,” Paul Simon, Will Trent (ABC)5. “Illusion,” Dua Lipa, XO, Kitty (Netflix)6. “BILLIE EILISH.,” Armani White, The Recruit (Netflix)7. “Blue Collar,” Drayton Farley, Landman (Paramount+)8. “Pretty Wings (Uncut),” Maxwell, High Potential (ABC)9. “XO (Only If You Say Yes),” ENHYPEN, XO, Kitty (Netflix)10. “Got Me Started,” Troye Sivan, XO, Kitty (Netflix)
As a vocalist, Chappell Roan‘s got some serious pipes — but as a plumber, she knows how to fix ’em, too. The singer-songwriter just unveiled the second version of her upcoming song “The Giver,” posing as a plunger- and wrench-wielding specialist for a new 7-inch vinyl now available on her website. On Tuesday (Feb. 25), […]
Rihanna hasn’t released a new album since 2016’s Anti, and just as fans might have been giving up hope that we would ever get a new project, the superstar is pulling back the curtain in a new interview. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news On the latest […]
Nikki Glaser is constantly meeting celebrities, but there’s one person she says she’ll never approach: Taylor Swift, who also happens to be one of the comedian’s biggest idols.
While on Armchair Expert With Dax Shepard for an episode of the podcast posted Monday (Feb. 24), Glaser said that she didn’t say hi to the “Karma” singer at the 2025 Grammys — which both women attended earlier this year — and explained why she doesn’t plan on breaking that pattern at future events. “Taylor, she’s just — everyone wants a piece,” Glaser began.
“I will never be the one to be like, ‘Excuse me!’” she continued. “There’s no way that she’s dying for that on a night like this where everyone’s doing it. And of course, she would be so nice. I know exactly how it would go down, but I don’t wanna take someone’s energy away that I require their energy to be put into making great music.”
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“It’s almost rude what I do, when I’m in the same room as Taylor Swift, because I won’t even look her way,” Glaser added.
Neither star took home gold at this year’s Grammys Feb. 2. Glaser lost best comedy album to Dave Chappelle, while Swift was passed up for song, record and album of the year.
About a month prior, Glaser hosted the 2025 Golden Globes — which the “Fortnight” musician did not attend this year, despite being present the year prior when her Eras Tour concert film was up for cinematic and box office achievement (but lost to Greta Gerwig’s Barbie). After helming this year’s ceremony, Glaser joked with a fan on X who asked if she was “pissed” about missing Swift by a year, replying, “Oh you know I was!”
The Someday You’ll Die stand-up’s commitment to giving the pop star wide berth comes at the expense of her own fandom. Glaser has gushed about her love for Swift multiple times and revealed in December that she spent nearly $100,000 to see the musician on 22 Eras Tour shows in 2023 and 2024.
“She has no idea who I am, but I’m just the biggest fan,” she said on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in July of being “addicted” to the Eras trek. “I want to just see it as much as possible, it’s the thing that makes me happiest in the world.”
Watch Glaser’s full interview on Armchair Expert below.