Music News

Kid Cudi Almost Done Rescheduling Insano Tour After Foot Surgery, Promises Next Album Is Mind-Blowingly ‘Tasty’

Kid Cudi is feeling confident as he continues his rehab from recent surgery on his foot after he broke his calcaneus — the bone that forms at the heel — while jumping off the stage at Coachella last month. Forced to cancel his planned Insano world tour as a result of the injury, Cudder has been cooling his heels as he rehabs the foot, providing an update on Thursday morning (May 16) about his ongoing recovery and teasing an upcoming album he thinks is his finest work to date.

Wearing a grey hoodie pulled around his face, the rapper, 40, shared some exciting news in a pair of video posts in which he said, “I’m all good. I feel fantastic. Healing is going great. Therapy’s been great. No pain. I think I’m gonna bounce back from this stronger than ever, so there’s that.” He also announced that he’s already rescheduled “about 80%” of the tour and is just waiting to lock in some of the remaining dates, promising to provide an update as soon as he can.

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“I’m excited, man… the tour was gonna be physically demanding, so I might have to change some things depending on how my recovery goes,” he explained. “I think I’ll be go though, I think I’ll make a full recovery. That’s what I’m praying for.”

He then paused the nearly two-minute video and directed fans to check out a second, nearly five-minute clip in which the constantly evolving MC provided a blueprint for what he promised was his very exciting next phase. Noting that he’s been telling fans for months that he planned to hit them up with something new before the year is out, Cudder said, “As you know the past few years I’ve been a machine… I’ve been so inspired and in the studio cooking and trying new things. I started something towards the end of the last year I really think is something special.”

While he did not provide specific details on that mystery project, after a long, thoughtful pause to collect his thoughts, Cudi promised to give a taste of the new phase “soon,” which might include some new music before summer’s end. “Something tasty, something new,” he teased, noting that every one of his album phases is a “reinvention.”

“You know me, you know I always like to switch it up, try something new, challenge myself,” he said. “And I think this is going to remind people of the days where I was really… really trying to explore and feel something in the music.” He said his Insano album and the 2024 reissue, Insano (Nitro Mega), inspired him to elevate his live shows and the goal with the unnamed upcoming project is to bring the joy. Cudi also said he tried to tap into an “elevated” version of the kind of big, anthemic songs his fans love, naming “Up Up & Away” and “Erase Me” and “Heart of a Lion” as examples.

“I want you to know that this s–t is not a game for me,” he concluded. “I work really hard to create new experiences for you guys sonically. When I say you have never heard anything quite like this from me before and that your minds will be blown, I’m not f–king playing games.” He said he could not even explain the vibe of the tracks, but assured fans that it is “some of my best s–t ever… I’m not f–king around.”

Check out Cudi’s video updates below.

Check out Cudi’s video update below.

Tommy Richman’s ‘Million Dollar Baby’ Rises to No. 1 on TikTok Billboard Top 50

After debuting at No. 2 on the TikTok Billboard Top 50 chart dated May 11, Tommy Richman’s ”Million Dollar Baby” ends up one spot better on the May 18 survey, ranking at No. 1.

The TikTok Billboard Top 50 is a weekly ranking of the most popular songs on TikTok in the United States based on creations, video views and user engagement. The latest chart reflects activity May 6-12. Activity on TikTok is not included in Billboard charts except for the TikTok Billboard Top 50.

“Million Dollar Baby” reigns following continued viral usage of the tune on TikTok, the app on which it was first teased on April 13, well prior to its eventual April 26 wide release.

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A recent trend utilizing “Million Dollar Baby” on TikTok involves users referring to the “Black wife/girl effect,” showing them in photos before they began dating a Black woman and then afterward. Some uploads also flip the script, representing before-and-after photos of when they started dating people of other races or ethnicities.

Concurrently, “Million Dollar Baby” remains at its No. 2 peak on the multimetric Billboard Hot 100 chart, led by its 58.3 million official U.S. streams May 3-9, up 54%, according to Luminate.

“Million Dollar Baby” takes over at No. 1 on the TikTok Billboard Top 50 from Lay Bankz’s “Tell Ur Girlfriend,” which drops to No. 2 after three weeks atop the list. Laila!’s “Like That!” reaches a new peak of No. 3, up from No. 4 May 11. As previously reported, “Like That!,” a steady gainer since April on the chart, benefits from a trend in which creators use its its “Do you want me?/ Do you wanna love me like that?” chorus to post often comedic videos trying to distract their significant others from their perceived flaws or shortcomings.

Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” drops 3-4, while Jaxomy, Agatino Romero and Raffaella Carra’s “Pedro” rounds out the top five. “Pedro” hits a new peak after a rise that began with the tune’s No. 24 debut on the April 27 tally. “Pedro” initially found TikTok success through a trend featuring dancing pets within a rotating spotlight.

Though “Pedro” has not yet been able to reach the Hot 100 (it has, however, peaked so far at No. 12 on the Hot Dance/Electronic Songs list), its success concurrently takes it to a new peak of No. 17 on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. survey dated May 18.

Daya’s “Hide Away” hits the TikTok Billboard Top 50’s top 10 for the first time, vaulting 11-7. The 2015 track scored a peak of No. 23 on the Hot 100 during its original chart run and enjoys newfound success thanks to a TikTok trend featuring creators lip-synching the chorus, with many showing off whether they are a top- or bottom-tooth speaker. Another trend follows users responding to a “maturing is …” prompt, and a third features creators dancing along in turn to the track.

“Hide Away” reaches a new peak of No. 151 on the Billboard Global 200 dated May 18, sporting 13.1 million global streams May 3-9.

The week’s sole top 10 debut on the TikTok Billboard Top 50 is courtesy of Kendrick Lamar, whose “Not Like Us” bows at No. 9. The Drake diss track, which concurrently starts at No. 1 on the Hot 100, achieves TikTok success mostly thanks to users reacting to the song’s incendiary lyrics

See the full TikTok Billboard Top 50 here. You can also tune in each Friday to SiriusXM’s TikTok Radio (channel 4) to hear the premiere of the chart’s top 10 countdown at 3 p.m. ET, with reruns heard throughout the week.

Nova Music Festival Massacre Documentary, ‘We Will Dance Again,’ to Premiere on Paramount+ in Fall

A documentary chronicling the murderous terror attack on the Nova Music Festival in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023 will debut on Paramount+. The streamer announced on Thursday (May 16) that the See It Now Studios Original Documentary We Will Dance Again will get a worldwide premiere in the fall, a year after the surprise assault by Hamas militants left more than 400 dead and dozens kidnapped at the peaceful desert EDM gathering.

“The human cost of what happened on October 7th in Israel, and the war in Gaza, has been catastrophic. We can’t tell everyone’s story. This film is about innocent young people, forced to fight for their survival,” said See It Now Studios president Susan Zirinsky in a statement. “It is a painful story of unfathomable tragedy, and also of bravery, sacrifice and heroism.”

A description of the film notes that Nova Music was “supposed to be a celebration of life, love, and music for thousands of young people but became one of the first targets when Hamas launched the deadliest terror attack in Israel’s history.” The film recreates the day of the worst terror attack in Israel’s as told through the eyes of more than a dozen survivors of the Nova assault, many of whom videotaped their experience as the massacre was taking place. In addition, the film will include eyewitness accounts from more than a dozen survivors, as well as footage taken by both the victims and the Hamas assailants.

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The film was directed by Yariv Mozer (The Devil’s Confession: The Lost Eichmann Tapes).

The surprise assault on the festival was part of a coordinated attack from Hamas militants, who crossed the border into Israel on the morning of Oct. 7, killing more than 1,200 Israeli men, women and children according to Israeli authorities, as well as taking more than 250 hostages, nearly half of whom are still believed to be held — alive or dead — in Gaza.

The deadliest day in Israel’s history since the Holocaust elicited a forceful counter-response, which so far has resulted in the deaths of more than 35,000 Palestinians according to Gaza Health authorities. The furious daily assaults from Israeli fighters in the now eight-month-long war has plunged Gaza into what experts say is a dire humanitarian crisis, with much of the territory’s infrastructure destroyed and more than a million Gazans on the verge of starvation. Amid calls from the United States and other nations for an immediate cease fire, protests against the war broke out on college campuses across the U.S. and the world over the past few months.

Drake Leads Nominations for 2024 BET Awards: Full List

Drake has had a tumultuous month, engaging in an increasingly personal diss battle with Kendrick Lamar that has seemingly ended in his defeat, but Thursday (May 16) brought some good news: He leads the nominations for the 2024 BET Awards.

Drake received seven nods, followed closely by Nicki Minaj with six. J. Cole, Sexyy Red, SZA and Victoria Monét each have five nominations. 21 Savage, Beyoncé, Doja Cat, Megan Thee Stallion, Tyla and Usher each have four.

The 2024 BET Awards, which bills itself Culture’s Biggest Night, will air live from Los Angeles on BET on Sunday, June 30, at 8 p.m. ET/PT. This year’s theme is Standing on Culture.

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BET also announced the first artists confirmed to perform on the show: GloRilla, Latto, Muni Long, Sexyy Red, Shaboozey and Victoria Monét.

Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” is in its third week at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart. Beyoncé’s “Texas Hold ’Em,” which headed that chart for 10 weeks immediately preceding Shaboozey’s smash, is nominated for the Viewer’s Choice Award. So, as genre walls blur, a performer and a nominee on the BET Awards could find themselves nominated for CMA Awards later this year.

Monét’s Jaguar II, which won a Grammy in February for best R&B album, and Killer Mike’s Michael, which won a Grammy for best rap album, are among the BET nominees for album of the year, along with Chris Brown’s 11:11, Gunna’s A Gift & A Curse, 21 Savage’s American Dream, Usher’s Coming Home, Drake’s For All the Dogs (Scary Hours Edition) and Nicki Minaj’s Pink Friday 2.

Monét’s “On My Mama,” which was Grammy-nominated for record of the year, is nominated here for the Viewer’s Choice Award. Other nominees in that category include two tracks that won Grammys in February – Lil Durk featuring J. Cole’s “All My Life,” which won best melodic rap performance; and Tyla’s “Water,” which won the inaugural award for best African music performance.

Drake and Burna Boy are both nominated for BET Awards for both best male R&B/pop artist and best male hip-hop artist. Doja Cat is nominated in the equivalent categories for female artists, a sign of all three artists’ broad appeal.

A musical biopic, Bob Marley: One Love, and a concert film, Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé,  are among the nominees for best movie.

Blue Ivy Carter, the 12-year old daughter of Beyoncé and Jay-Z, is nominated for the YoungStars Award.

Halle Bailey is nominated for best actress and also for the Dr. Bobby Jones best gospel/inspirational award for “Angel.”

Nominations were determined by the BET Voting Academy, which is comprised of entertainment professionals and influencers in the fields of music, media, digital marketing, sports journalism, public relations and creative arts.

Voting for the BET Awards’ 2024 Viewer’s Choice Award begins June 6 and ends June 30.

Connie Orlando, EVP, specials, music programming & music strategy, will oversee and executive produce the annual show, with Jamal Noisette, SVP, tentpoles & music community engagement to co-executive produce for BET. Jesse Collins Entertainment is the production company for the show, with Jesse Collins, Dionne Harmon, and Jeannae Rouzan-Clay also serving as executive producers.

Here’s the complete list of nominees for the 2024 BET Awards:

Album of the year

Chris Brown, 11:11

Gunna, A Gift & A Curse

21 Savage, American Dream

Usher, Coming Home

Drake, For All the Dogs (Scary Hours Edition)

Victoria Monét, Jaguar II                                                                    

Killer Mike, Michael

Nicki Minaj, Pink Friday 2

Best female R&B/pop artist

Beyoncé

Coco Jones

Doja Cat

H.E.R.

Muni Long

SZA

Tyla

Victoria Monét

Best male R&B/pop artist

Brent Faiyaz

Bryson Tiller

Burna Boy

Chris Brown

Drake

Fridayy

October London

Usher

Best group

¥$, Ye, Ty Dolla $ign

2 Chainz & Lil Wayne

41

Blxst & Bino Rideaux

City Girls

Flo

Maverick City Music

Wanmor

Best collaboration

Lil Durk feat. J. Cole, “All My Life”

Beyoncé feat. Kendrick Lamar, “America Has a Problem (Remix)”

Nicki Minaj & Ice Spice (With Aqua), “Barbie World”

Cardi B feat. Megan Thee Stallion, “Bongos”

 ¥$, Ye, Ty Dolla $ign feat. Rich The Kid, Playboi Carti, “Carnival”

Lola Brooke feat. Latto & Yung Miami, “Don’t Play With It (Remix)”

Nicki Minaj feat. Lil Uzi Vert, “Everybody”

Usher, Summer Walker & 21 Savage, “Good Good”

Drake feat. Sexyy Red & SZA, “Rich Baby Daddy”

Best female hip-hop artist    

Cardi B

Doja Cat

GloRilla

Ice Spice

Latto

Megan Thee Stallion

Nicki Minaj

Sexyy Red

Best male hip-hop artist

21 Savage

Burna Boy

Drake

Future

Gunna

J. Cole

Kendrick Lamar

Lil Wayne

Best new artist

41

4Batz

Ayra Starr

Bossman Dlow

Fridayy

October London

Sexyy Red

Tyla

Video of the year      

Doja Cat, “Agora Hills”

Lil Durk feat J. Cole, “All My Life”

Nicki Minaj & Ice Spice (With Aqua), “Barbie World”

Cardi B feat. Megan Thee Stallion, “Bongos”

Drake feat. J. Cole, “First Person Shooter”

Usher, Summer Walker & 21 Savage, “Good Good”

Victoria Monét, “On My Mama”

Drake feat. Sexyy Red & SZA, “Rich Baby Daddy”

Video director of the year

Benny Boom

Child.

Cole Bennett

Dave Meyers

Janelle Monáe & Alan Ferguson

Offset

Tems

Tyler, The Creator

Dr. Bobby Jones Best Gospel/Inspirational Award

Shirley Caesar, “Award All of the Glory”

Kirk Franklin, “All Things”

Halle Bailey, “Angel”

CeCe Winans, “Come Jesus Come”

Erica Campbell, Do You Believe in Love?”

Maverick City Music, Naomi Raine & Chandler Moore, “God Problems”

Tems, “Me & U”

Kirk Franklin, “Try Love”

Viewer’s choice award

Doja Cat, “Agora Hills”        

Lil Durk feat. J. Cole, “All My Life”

Gunna, “Fukumean”                                                  

Jack Harlow, “Lovin on Me”

Muni Long, “Made for Me”                                                  

Victoria Monét, “On My Mama”                                             

Drake feat. Sexyy Red & SZA, “Rich Baby Daddy”

Chris Brown feat. Davido & Lojay, “Sensational”    

Beyoncé, “Texas Hold ‘Em”                                                  

Tyla, “Water”                                                             

Best international act

Asake (Africa)

Aya Nakamura (France)

Ayra Starr (Africa)

Bk’ (Brazil)

Cleo Sol (UK)

Focalistic (Africa)

Karol Conká (Brazil)

Raye (UK)

Tiakola (France)

Tyla (Africa)

Viewer’s choice: best new international act

Bellah (UK)

Cristale (UK)

Duquesa (Brazil)

Holly G (France)

Jungeli (France)

Makhadzi (Africa)

Oruam (Brazil)

Seyi Vibez (Africa)

Tyler Icu (Africa)

BET Her

Beyoncé, “16 Carriages”

Nicki Minaj feat. Tasha Cobbs Leonard, “Blessings”

Ayra Starr, “Commas”

Flo feat. Missy Elliott, “Fly Girl”

Megan Thee Stallion, “Hiss”

Victoria Monét, “On My Mama”

SZA, “Saturn”

GloRilla, “Yeah Glo!”

Best movie

American Fiction

Bob Marley: One Love

Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

The Book of Clarence

The Color Purple

The Equalizer 3

The Little Mermaid

Best actor

Anthony Mackie

Colman Domingo

Damson Idris

Denzel Washington

Donald Glover

Idris Elba

Jeffrey Wright

Lakeith Stanfield

Best actress

Angela Bassett

Ayo Edebiri

Coco Jones

Danielle Brooks

Fantasia

Halle Bailey

Issa Rae

Regina King

YoungStars Award   

Akira Akbar

Blue Ivy Carter

Demi Singleton

Heiress Diana Harris

Jabria McCullum

Jalyn Hall

Leah Jeffries

Van Van

Sportswoman of the Year Award

A’ja Wilson

Angel Reese

Coco Gauff

Flau’jae Johnson

Juju Watkins

Naomi Osaka

Sha’carri Richardson

Simone Biles

Sportsman of the Year Award

Anthony Edwards

Gervonta Davis

Jalen Brunson

Jalen Hurts

Kyrie Irving

Lebron James

Patrick Mahomes

Stephen Curry

Taylor Swift’s ‘My Tears Ricochet’ Soundtracks New ‘It Ends With Us’ Trailer Starring Blake Lively: Watch

The first trailer for It Ends With Us starring Blake Lively has arrived, featuring a musical cameo from none other than the actress’ good friend Taylor Swift.  

The pop star’s “My Tears Ricochet” is heavily featured throughout the two-minute clip that arrived Thursday (May 16). The visual finds Lively’s character, Lily Bloom, fall in love with Justin Baldoni’s Ryle around the same time she opens a flower shop in Boston before embarking on a picture-perfect romance that takes a turn when Ryle starts getting violent with her. 

“We all have an idea of what love can be,” Lively says in a voiceover as Swift’s haunting Folklore track plays. “That special connection you feel, that first kiss. But 15 seconds — that’s all it takes to completely change everything.” 

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As the 14-time Grammy winner’s ballad intensifies, so does the trailer, especially with the entrance of a second love interest: Brandon Sklenar’s Atlas, who knew Lily as a teenager. “I didn’t have it in myself to go with grace,” Swift’s voice sings. “And I can go anywhere I want, anywhere I want, just not home.” 

Based on Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel of the same name, It Ends With Us arrives in theaters Aug. 9. Directed by Baldoni, the picture also stars Jenny Slate, Hasan Minhaj, Alex Neustaedter and Isabela Ferrer. 

It’s only fitting that Swift’s music would be featured in a film led by Lively. The two women have been friends for years, and the Gossip Girl alum’s daughter James — whom she shares with Ryan Reynolds, along with Inez, Betty and a new baby whose name hasn’t been revealed — was featured on the singer’s Reputation track “Gorgeous.” 

Watch the trailer for It Ends With Us featuring “My Tears Ricochet” above. 

Here’s How Maren Morris Clapped Back at Harrison Butker’s Bigoted Commencement Address

A viral question aimed at women has spread around the internet over the last few weeks: Would you rather be alone in the woods with a man or with a bear? After listening to Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker’s bigoted commencement address at Benedictine College, singer Maren Morris has her answer.

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In a post to her Instagram Stories on Wednesday (May 15), Morris shared a clip from Butker’s address, in which the footballer claimed that the graduating women had “the most diabolical lies” told to them, and encouraging them to consider taking on “one of the most important titles of all: homemaker.” Morris summed up her feelings on Butker’s comments — and on the aforementioned question — in just four words: “I choose the bear,” she wrote.

Morris is far from the only celebrity to criticize Butker’s comments. In a post to his X account on Tuesday (May 14), rapper Flavor Flav called out Butker and encouraged him to, respectfully, stop talking. “Sounds like some players ‘need to stay in their lanes’ and shouldn’t be giving commencement speeches,” he wrote.

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Meanwhile, Sarah Kate Ellis, the president and CEO of LGBTQ advocacy group GLAAD, responded to Butker’s anti-LGBTQ comments made throughout his address — including saying that Pride Month represented “deadly sins” — calling them “a clear miss,” as well as “inaccurate, ill-informed, and woefully out of step with Americans about Pride, LGBTQ people and women.”

The speech began blowing up online thanks, in part, to the fact that Butker quoted lyrics from Taylor Swift’s “Bejeweled” during his speech. Speaking about bishops who derive pleasure “from the adulation they receive from their parishioners,” Butker made sure to quote “my teammate’s girlfriend” in saying “‘Familiarity breeds contempt.’”

After many called for the NFL and the Kansas City Chiefs to comment on Butker’s speech, Jonathan Beane, senior vice president and chief diversity and inclusion officer for the league, shared a statement with People on Wednesday. “Harrison Butker gave a speech in his personal capacity,” he said. “His views are not those of the NFL as an organization. The NFL is steadfast in our commitment to inclusion, which only makes our league stronger.”

Billboard has not yet heard back from the Chiefs after a request for comment.

First Authorized Led Zeppelin Documentary, ‘Becoming Led Zeppelin, Acquired By Sony Pictures Classics

The long-awaited first authorized documentary about Led Zeppelin, Becoming Led Zeppelin, has been acquired by Sony Pictures Classics, which will distribute the Bernard MacMahon-directed film in North America, Latin America, the Middle East, Southeast Asia (except Japan) and Benelux.

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According to Deadline, the hybrid documentary-concert film features never-before-seen footage, performances and music and is described as an “experiential cinematic odyssey exploring Led Zeppelin’s creative, musical and personal origin story,” told in their own words in the first officially sanctioned movie about the band.

The hype train for Becoming began in 2021 when a work-in-progress version was screened at the Venice Film Festival, receiving a 10-minute standing ovation. The film follows the band’s four members — singer Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist John Paul Jones and late drummer John Bonham — as they rise up through the British music scene in the 1960s playing in small clubs. It follows them to a fateful rehearsal in 1968 that changed the course of their careers and culminates in their first tour of America in 1970 as they ascended to rock superstardom.

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According to Deadline, the film features a new sound mix, previously unseen materials from the archives of all four members, including home movies and family photos, as well as exclusive interviews with Page, Plant and Jones, and never-before-heard interviews with Bonham.

The movie was written by MacMahon (American Epic) and Allison McGourty, with the director saying that the team spent “years designing this film to be experienced on the big screen with the best possible sound.”

In a statement, a spokesperson for Sony Pictures Classics added, “We loved this film from the first moment we saw it. It has been nothing short of extraordinary to witness the organic process Bernard, Allison, and their team have taken to sculpt what has turned out to be THE definitive film on the origins of Led Zeppelin. We are honored to be working with such committed artists who have crafted a film that immediately transports you right into the energy and excitement of that time.” The rep went on to note that the film “seamlessly weaves astonishing performances, archival footage, and interviews through superb editing and impeccable sound design. This film is a grand theatrical experience and we are very proud to be bringing it to the world.”

At press time no release date had been announced for the film, but you can watch a teaser prepared for the Venice debut below.



Kelly Clarkson Throws Up the ‘W,’ Crushes Kellyoke Version Of ‘Say It Ain’t So’ With Weezer

Kelly Clarkson is basically in Weezer now. On Wednesday’s (May 15) Kelly Clarkson Show, the singer joined the group’s singer, Rivers Cuomo, and drummer Patrick Wilson (on guitar) for a run through “Say It Ain’t So” from the band’s iconic self-titled “Blue” album. Cuomo and Wilson loved their stop-in so much, they tweeted that “@kellyclarkson gave us a run for our money on Kellyoke.”

Weezer are in the midst of a promo run for the 30th anniversary of their Ric Ocasek-produced debut, which featured such beloved classics as “Undone – The Sweater Song,” “Buddy Holly” and “Holiday.”

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The Kellyoke performance opened with Rivers crooning the song’s mellow first verse, with Clarkson joining in on the “ooh yeah… all right” refrain before slathering the second verse with her buttery soul. “Flip on the telly/ Wrestle with Jimmy/ Something is bubbling/ Behind my back/ The bottle is ready to blow,” she belted as Wilson and Cuomo cranked up the guitars and Clarkson joined the bespectacled rocker on the swoony chorus. The back-and-forth between Clarkson and Cuomo was indeed formidable and Rivers was not kidding when he said the show’s host added some serious spice to the performance.

“I’ve literally never been cool in my life until now,” gushed Clarkson afterwards, who came dressed to play with the cardigan-loving duo in her own brown cropped button-up sweater and jeans.

The duo also sat on the couch with Clarkson to discuss the album’s anniversary, but not before Kelly implored her audience to go see Weezer live on their Voyage to the Blue Planet tour with the Flaming Lips and Dinosaur Jr. “You put on a hell of a show, I’m just saying,” Clarkson told them, recounting a gig she saw several years ago that blew her mind.

Fellow guest Brooke Shields also got emotional thinking about how much Weezer has meant to her, revealing that she was blasting their music on her way to the studio that morning. The 10-minute segment quickly went off the rails, with Clarkson laughing about their earlier rehearsals for the performance, where she feared her cranked-to-11 energy hilariously clashed with Cuomo and Wilson’s hovering-around-2 chill vibe.

After bonding with Shields about their mutual love of Pickleball, Cuomo and Wilson sat politely as Clarkson asked about the origin of the band’s name (it was Cuomo’s nickname from his dad as a child), noting that she called her sister “Weese” when they were little. Kelly also made another connection, telling Cuomo that her daughter’s name is River Rose, with Rivers dead-panning that he was, indeed named because, as she said, he was born “between two rivers… y’all lived between two rivers, is that true?”

“Yeah, here in Manhattan,” Cuomo said straight-faced, as the audience, and Shields, broke into bellowing laughter at the singer’s plainspoken geographical response. “I really wanna host a show with you,” Clarkson said as Shields covered her eyes and mouth while guffawing at the delightfully awkward exchange.

“Uh… should I continue?” Cuomo asked sheepishly to more face-covering giggles from Shields, who, not for nothing, noted that she was named after a babbling brook. Spoiler alert: Cuomo was actually named after three soccer players from the Italian and Brazilian teams who played in the 1970 World Cup. “So I thought we had something in common there too, but turns out no,” Clarkson said. “I’m an Aquarius,” Wilson interjected helpfully. Later, Cuomo and Shields also (kind of) bonded over both appearing in productions of Grease, as Clarkson could not stop enthusing about how much she was loving the chat.

“This is literally my favorite panel we’ve ever had,” Clarkson chortled as she fell off her couch in convulsive laughter at the end of the segment.

Watch Weezer on the Kelly Clarkson Show below.







Keith Urban Plays Solo Acoustic Cover of Ariana Grande’s ‘We Can’t Be Friends,’ Calls It ‘Audible Heroin’

Keith Urban is jonesing for another hit of that Eternal Sunshine. No, that’s not some new designer drug. The country singer can’t stop gushing about the song “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait For You Love)” from Ariana Grande‘s most recent album.

He proved his endless love for the track by playing it during a small club show earlier this week and posting a video of the cover on Monday, in which he croons the heartbreak anthem solo acoustic. “Me and my truth, we sit in silence/ There in the mirror it’s just me and you/ I don’t wanna argue, but I don’t wanna bite/ My tongue, yeah, I think I’d rather die/ You got me misunderstood, but at least I look this good,” Urban sang while bathed in blue light (and slightly changing up a few lyrics.)

Urban captioned his post, “this song is audible heroin,” after earlier heaping praise on the track written and produced by Grande, Max Martin and Ilya Salmanzadeh that debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in an interview with People last week. “I don’t know what is going on with that song, but I cannot stop playing it. It’s like audible heroin,” Urban said at the time in his first use of the musical drug simile. “Literally, I have to have another hit. I play that thing over and over and over.”

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As the magazine reported, Urban got his fix of the tune he further said has some “real celestial magic” on May 6 when Grande performed the song at the Met Gala, which the singer attended with wife actress Nicole Kidman. “That’s my absolute current obsession song right now,” Urban said.

“Ariana has always had that unique vocal gift,” Urban told People. “On top of that, she’s a phenomenal writer and producer. So it was easy for me to stumble upon that new album. I was interested in it before it came out.” Urban is not the only one entranced by the song, as evidenced by fellow country star Tate McRae performing her own stripped-down version of the tune during a gig at the Apollo Theatre in London last month.

“We Can’t Be Friends” was the second single from Grande’s seventh studio album, which was released in March; Eternal Sunshine was Grande’s sixth LP to top the Billboard 200 album chart.

Check out Urban’s performance below.

Willie Nelson Preps ‘Cannabis Cookbook’

Willie Nelson is cooking with a new collection of pot-infused recipes.

The country superstar and legendary stoner joins forces with his wife Annie Nelson for Cannabis Cookbook: Mouthwatering Recipes and the High-Flying Stories Behind Them, due out Nov. 12 through a collaboration with Gallery Books.

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“Over a lifetime of study,” he remarks in the cookbook, “I learned that pot is more than pleasure. Its positive properties are limitless. It’s a blessing and a blast. It’s good fuel.”

The Nelsons co-authored the publication with David Ritz, Mia Tangredi, and chef Andrea Drummer. Those mouthwatering recipes are said to be drawn from meals enjoyed on tour, at their ranch, at home, and in their favorite cities, and are accompanied by Willie’s food-related tales.

It’s a feast for the eyes (and the brain), with a how-to on Buffalo wings, chocolate cake, fried chicken and more, all with that special touch of herb.

Also, reps say, a chapter is dedicated to cannabis-infused base ingredients, from cannabutter to finishing oil, simple syrups, sugars, salts, and tinctures, and more, making it “a comprehensive guide for both novice and experienced cannabis enthusiasts.”

A 12-time Grammy winner, Nelson has collected many lifetime achievement awards, including one from the Recording Academy in 1999, another from the Country Music Association in 2012 (which named the award in his honor), induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1993 and the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame, a Kennedy Center Honor in 1998 and the Library of Congress’ Gershwin Prize in 2015, and, in 2021 the Clio Cannabis Lifetime Achievement Award.

Long before the green stuff gained mainstream acceptance, Nelson made the case that its dangers were greatly exaggerated and its benefits were scarcely mentioned. He turned his passion for the stuff into a business, Willie’s Reserve. “The cannabis culture is a way of life for him,” reads the blurb on the official site. “And he has always operated under a simple philosophy: my stash is your stash.”

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The 90-year-old is the subject of the five-part documentary Willie Nelson & Family, which debuted last December on Paramount+ after its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival.