Music News

10 Apr 2024

Ryan Gosling Nervously Rehearses His Meet Cool With Chris Stapleton in ‘SNL’ Promo

Ryan Gosling has been a star for more than three decades. And, judging by the way he absolutely crushed it during the mega song-and-dance performance of his spotlight Barbie song “I’m Just Ken” at the Oscars earlier this year you’d think the 43-year-old triple-threat lives in a zone where nerves are never an issue.

But in the first promo for his third stint as host of Saturday Night Live this weekend (April 13), Gosling is as jangled as a 12-year-old asking his first crush out to the movies. It’s all a put-on, of course. But in the endearing video, Gosling practices how he’s going to introduce himself to the night’s musical guest, country singer Chris Stapleton, and he just can’t seem to get it right.

Wearing a Stapleton T-shirt, Gosling works up his nerve to knock on the singer’s dressing room door as he rehearses his best meet cool lines for the “Tennessee Whiskey” singer. “Mr. Stapleton, big fan, love your music,” Gosling says as he grips a head shot of Stapleton and a black marker. “Nah, it’s stupid.”

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Trying out a more casual approach, Gosling whips his phone out of his back pocket and gets in selfie position as he says, “Yo Chris! One for the ‘gram?” That one also fell flat, so Gosling opts for a more formal, Shakespearean take, intoning, “Master Stapleton, ’tis I, Sir Gosling. That’s cool,” he says.

But when Gosling finally works up the confidence to open the door, he walks into a darkened room to find Stapleton’s perfectly lit, signature straw cowboy hat sitting majestically on a mannequin head. The image is so overwhelming that Gosling drops his marker and photo in awe as he struts toward the hat, thinks better of it, then plops it on his head contentedly as Stapleton’s “White Horse” blasts out.

Gosling will hit screens on Friday (April 12) in the action comedy The Fall Guy, in which he stars as aging choreographer Colt Seavers in the film loosely based on the 1980s TV series about stunt performers that starred Lee Majors. The actor made a surprise appearance on SNL last weekend during Kristen Wiig’s fifth hosting turn, presenting the beloved former SNL star with her five-timers hosting jacket.

Check out Gosling’s promo below.

10 Apr 2024

Olivia Rodrigo Reunites With ‘High School Musical’ Castmates at the Guts World Tour Show in NYC

Once a Wildcat, always a Wildcat. Some of Olivia Rodrigo‘s former High School Musical: The Musical: The Series castmates showed their support for the 21-year-old pop star by coming to see her Guts World Tour show at Madison Square Garden Tuesday night (April 9), after which they all met up backstage to pose for a photo.

In grainy videos taken by fans at the concert, Disney actors Larry Saperstein, Julia Lester, Joe Serafini and Frankie Rodriguez were among the 10-thousand-plus fans at the venue, where Rodrigo played her final of four New York City Guts shows. After she performed tracks from Guts as well as her hit debut album Sour — much of which has long been rumored to be about HSM costar Joshua Bassett, who was not in attendance — Rodrigo greeted the gang backstage.

“danced our GUTS off!! ?,” Saperstein wrote on Instagram afterward, sharing a photo of the five stars smiling for the camera with Liv in the center.

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Also in attendance were Conan Gray, Rodrigo’s best friend and fellow singer-songwriter, as well as Heartstopper‘s Joe Locke. Another fan video captured the two dancing together to the headliner’s closing number, “Get Him Back!”

The “Drivers License” singer’s four-night stay at MSG was eventful, with both Noah Kahan and Jewel taking the stage at separate shows for surprise guest duets with Rodrigo. During her first night in New York City, she spotted yet another High School Musical costar in the crowd: Michelle Noh, who played Rodrigo’s character’s mom in the series.

With the final MSG show in the books, Rodrigo has officially wrapped the North American leg of her first-ever arena tour. Later this month, she’ll launch a run of European shows starting in Dublin, after which she’ll return to the U.S. on July 19 for a performance at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.

See clips of the HSM:TM:TS cast, Conan Gray and Joe Locke at the Guts World Tour below.

10 Apr 2024

Sarah Paulson Gushes Over Beyoncé & Miley Cyrus’ ‘II Most Wanted’: ‘Does Anyone Know Why It Makes Me Cry?’

Stars, they’re just like us! As the world continues its love affair with Beyoncé‘s record-breaking Cowboy Carter album, Emmy winner Sarah Paulson is still stuck on the “II Most Wanted,” the LP’s rousing Miley Cyrus-assisted ballad.

“Can’t stop listening to this,” Paulson wrote in an Instagram Story Tuesday (April 9) featuring a screenshot of her playing “II Most Wanted” on Apple Music and tagging both Beyoncé’s and Cyrus’ Instagram accounts. “But does anyone know why it makes me cry?”

The new track is clearly in Paulson’s rotation as she makes her way through a characteristically busy year on screen and on the stage. As she completes her starring turn in the 2023-24 run of Appropriate on Broadway, Paulson also guest starred on Donald Glover‘s Mr. & Mrs. Smith re-imagining for Prime Video.

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A heartfelt ode to ride-or-die friendships, “II Most Wanted” is the 16th track on Cowboy Carter, marking the first collaboration between the two powerhouse vocalists. On the Billboard Hot 100 (chart dated April 13), “II Most Wanted” launched at No. 6, becoming the second of three top 10 hits from Cowboy Carter and the first all-female collaboration to reach the the Hot 100’s top 10 in 2024. In the same week, Cowboy Carter became Beyoncé’s record-extending eight consecutive studio album to debut atop the Billboard 200, with the biggest first-week units total of the year. All 23 of its chart-eligible tracks also made the Hot 100.

On Cowboy Carter release day, Cyrus celebrated the collaboration with a sweet Instagram message, writing, “I’ve loved Beyonce since long before I had the opportunity to meet & work with her. My admiration runs so much deeper now that I’ve created along side of her. Thank you Beyoncé. You’re everything & more. Love you. To everyone who spent time making this song so special thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

At the 2024 CMT Awards, Brandi Cyrus, Miley’s older sister, revealed that she found out about “II Most Wanted” right before the rest of the world. “Usually, I know about [Miley’s] projects a year or so in advance,” she said. “I found out like two months before, I was like, ‘Wait, say what? Why didn’t you tell me this at the Grammys, when we sat right next to [Beyoncé]?’ She kept it under wraps!”

Cyrus is one of a plethora of guest stars on Cowboy Carter — many of whom are now Hot 100 first-timers — including Tanner Adell, Willie Jones, Tiera Kennedy, Post Malone, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, Reyna Roberts, Brittney Spencer and Shaboozey.

Click here to see Sarah Paulson’s Instagram story.

10 Apr 2024

Madonna Gives Emotional Tribute to Pulse Nightclub Shooting Victims at Final Miami Show: Watch

While Madonna‘s globe-spanning tour is meant to be a “Celebration,” the singer took a moment on Tuesday night (April 9) to have a serious conversation with her fans about one of the worst shootings in American history.

During her final show in Miami, Fla., Madonna delivered an emotional speech to her fans in honor of the victims of the 2016 shooting at Pulse nightclub, the second-deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history. “I want to remind you that we have not all been so lucky,” Madonna said somberly to her audience, according to a fan-captured video. “I want to draw attention to that moment because nightclubs and music and dance are what bring us together. They shouldn’t be places or things that we do that bring us sadness and tragedy and murder and death and pain and suffering and trauma.”

Along with paying tribute to the 49 people killed in the attack, the legendary pop star also shared her support for the LGBTQ+ community, saying, “I will always stand for the gays, because the gays have always stood for me.”

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“That was the biggest terrorist attack in America after 9/11,” she said. “People getting together to dance in a club that was inclusive and full of love. It was Latin Night, people were dancing to Latin music, and some motherf–ker came in there with two guns and started shooting at people.”

Madonna went on to share that she invited survivors and their families, as well as the families of those who did not survive to attend her show that night, calling out a few of their names and thanking them for attending. In the middle of her speech, her voice began to crack with emotion. “I make dance music. My job is to bring people together, to make people dance, to make people happy, to not judge,” she said. “This s–t is not supposed to happen. Don’t forget about it.”

It’s far from the first time Madonna has honored victims and heroes during her Celebration Tour. When her trek stopped at New York City’s Madison Square Garden in January, the pop icon shared the stories of Ellen Matzer and Valery Hughes, two New York nurses who treated and advocated for AIDS/HIV patients at the height of the epidemic the 1980s.

Watch the fan-captured video of Madonna’s speech below:

10 Apr 2024

Aerosmith Unveils Rescheduled Farewell Tour Dates Following Steven Tyler’s Vocal Cord Injury

Aerosmith is back in business. After taking an unexpected break from the Peace Out farewell tour due to Steven Tyler‘s vocal cord injury in 2023, the band has unveiled a slew of new rescheduled dates slated for this fall and winter.

The rock icons shared the news on Instagram Wednesday (April 10), confirming that The Black Crowes and Teddy Swims will each join them as support on select dates of the updated trek. Tyler’s first show back with Joe Perry, Brad Whitford, Tom Hamilton and drummer Joey Kramer will take place Sept. 20 in Pittsburgh, Penn., after which they’ll travel through cities across the United States and Canada before wrapping with a Feb. 26 show in Buffalo, N.Y.

“All previously purchased tickets will be honored for the rescheduled shows – you’ll receive more info via email,” reads Aerosmith’s announcement. “Tickets for the rescheduled dates & newly added shows go on sale Fri 4/12 @ 10AM local at aerosmith.com.”

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The news comes more than six months after Aerosmith announced that the remainder of the previously scheduled Peace Out shows were to be postponed indefinitely due to Tyler’s injury, which the band had discovered was “more serious than initially thought.”

“I am heartbroken to not be out there with Aerosmith, my brothers and the incredible Black Crowes, rocking with the best fans in the world,” the frontman wrote in a statement at the time. “I promise we will be back as soon as we can.”

“His doctor has confirmed that in addition to the damage to his vocal cords, he fractured his larynx which requires ongoing care,” the band revealed in a separate statement. “He is receiving the best medical treatment available to ensure his recovery is swift, but given the nature of a fracture, he is being told patience is essential.”

See Aerosmith’s announcement and new tour dates below.

10 Apr 2024

Amy Winehouse Is Alone in a Crowd in New ‘Tears Dry On Their Own’ Video Featuring Unseen Footage

Amy Winehouse is in her classic mode in a new video for her jazz-pop lament “Tears Dry On Their Own.” The track from the late singer’s breakthrough 2006 sophomore album, Back to Black, has gotten a refresh thanks to a new lyric video featuring previously unseen B-roll and footage from the recording of the original video, which was directed by David LaChapelle (Mariah Carey, Jennifer Lopez).

The visual dropped on Wednesday (April 10), just days before the anticipated Winehouse biopic, Back to Black, opens in the U.K. The “Tears” video folds in original footage along with never-before-seen b-roll and outtakes from LaChapelle’s original clip filmed in Los Angeles in 2007.

The majority of the video features Winehouse in her signature short cocktail dress, cat-eye makeup and towering beehive hairdo walking through the streets, singing to herself on a hotel bed and fussing with her coif as she croons, “He walks away/ The sun goes down/ He takes the day, but I’m grown/ And in your way/ In this blue shade/ My tears dry on their own.”

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In the lead-up to the biopic’s release — it opens in the U.S. on May 17 — an official trailer dropped in February, revealing the film’s all-star cast, including star Marisa Abela, as well as Eddie Marsan (Ray Donovan) as proud father Mitch Winehouse and Jack O’Connell (Godless) as troubled husband Blake Fielder-Civil.

In January, a new version of the singer’s “In My Bed” video was released with previously unseen footage to celebrate the 20th anniversary of her 2004 debut album, Frank. Winehouse died in 2011 at 27 of an accidental alcohol overdose after years of substance use struggles.

Watch the new “Tears Dry on Their Own” lyric video below.

10 Apr 2024

Megan Thee Stallion Reflects on ‘Dark’ Times Following Tory Lanez Shooting: ‘I Was Depressed’

Megan Thee Stallion has described her next era as a “rebirth” heading toward the release of an album later this year. It will be her first offering since Tory Lanez was sentenced last year in the shooting case against her, with Meg looking to close the book on the traumatic chapter of her life and build herself back up even stronger.

The Houston Hottie is the latest cover star of Women’s Health, and in the accompanying interview published on Wednesday (April 10), she reflected on the “dark times” following the Lanez 2020 shooting, which took a toll on her mental health.

“A lot of people didn’t treat me like I was human for a long time,” she said. “I feel like everybody was always used to me being the fun and happy party girl. I watched people build me up, tear me down, and be confused about their expectations of me. As a Black woman, as a darker Black woman, I also feel like people expect me to take the punches, take the beating, take the lashings and handle it with grace. But I’m human.”

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It wasn’t until Megan started therapy that her healing process began. She now works out four to five times a week with a regimen that includes hitting the gym, pilates and beach training.

“Before I went onstage, I would be crying half the time because I didn’t want to [perform], but I also didn’t want to upset my fans,” Thee Stallion admitted. “I didn’t want to get [out] from under the covers. I stayed in my room. I would not turn the lights on. I had blackout curtains. I didn’t want to see the sun. I knew I wasn’t myself. It took me a while to acknowledge that I was depressed. But once I started talking to a therapist, I was able to be truthful with myself.”

Tory Lanez was ultimately sentenced to 10 years behind bars on three felony counts over the incident, in which he shot Meg in the foot during an argument following a July 2020 pool party in the Hollywood Hills.

According to prosecutors, Megan got out of a car during an argument following a party at reality star Kylie Jenner’s house and began walking away when Lanez shouted, “Dance, b—h!” and proceeded to shoot.

Women’s Health 2024 Body Issue: The Rebirth of Megan Thee Stallion

Megan Thee Stallion on the cover of Women’s Health 2024 Body Issue.

Ramona Rosales for Women’s Health

The 29-year-old kicked off her new era last year with a series of serpentine-themed singles. Meg’s scathing “Hiss” track — which takes aim at the likes of Tory Lanez, Nicki Minaj and Drake — soared to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in February.

“I was inspired to create this album about rebirth because I feel I am becoming a new person physically and mentally,” Meg added.

Her upcoming LP does not yet have a release date. Megan Thee Stallion’s last album, Traumazine, arrived in August 2022 and debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200.

Check out Megan Thee Stallion’s Women’s Health cover below.

Women’s Health 2024 Body Issue: The Rebirth of Megan Thee Stallion

Ramona Rosales for Women’s Health

10 Apr 2024

Aaron Frazer Announces New Heartbreak Album ‘Into the Blue’ & Drops 2 Singles

Aaron Frazer is returning with his second solo album, Into the Blue. The Durand Jones & the Indications drummer and singer will release his sophomore set June 28 via Dead Oceans. Frazer called the album “the clearest portrait of who I am as an artist” in the press release.

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Frazer also shared two lead singles — “Payback” and titular track “Into the Blue” — off the new album. Both singles are accompanied by visuals directed by Eliot Lee and Marielle Co, respectively.

“Payback” is a fast-paced song with Northern Soul drums, a standout bass line and Frazer’s signature falsetto. “ʻPaybackʼ is about karma,” said Frazer. “When you wrong someone, in love or in life, it has a funny way of coming back to bite you, no matter how much you try to run from it. The music feels like a chase scene, and lyrically that brought me to the idea that payback is on its way, like Iʼm being chased by my own comeuppance.”

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According to Frazer, Into the Blue is a heartbreak album about the end of a long term relationship that saw the crooner moving cross country from Brooklyn to Los Angeles. Co-produced by Grammy-winner Alex Goose (known for his work with hip-hop artists such as Freddie Gibbs, Madlib and Brockhampton), Into the Blue moves through differing sounds and genres to display Frazer’s deep love of music.

The album follows Frazer’s 2021 debut Introducing…, which was produced by The Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach. The debut, sang fully in falsetto, was akin to Frazer’s work with soul band Durand Jones & the Indications. Now, said Frazer, “Iʼm excited to keep breaking some of the expectations around what exactly Iʼm supposed to be, artistically and musically.”

Showcasing the breadth of talent and genres on the new album, single “Into the Blue” is a gentler affair. The haunting track feels cinematic as Frazer takes the listener on a ride through heartbreak. “ʻInto the Blueʼ is what Iʼve been calling the unknown, when youʼre no longer tied to your dock of stability,” Frazer explained. “I wanted to capture the feeling of loneliness and isolation on this song, and the vastness of the desert and driving west. Emotionally, this song feels like where Iʼve been at this year, when my relationship came to an end. There is an isolation and a sadness, but also a feeling of resoluteness and bravery. I think you have to be brave to navigate those moments of brutal, chaotic transition.”

See Frazer’s album announcement below:

10 Apr 2024

Ryan Gosling & Emily Blunt Reveal Their Favorite Taylor Swift Songs

Ryan Gosling is a Swiftie onscreen and off — and so is his Fall Guy costar Emily Blunt. In an interview with Fandango posted on YouTube Tuesday (April 9), the two actors revealed their favorite Taylor Swift songs while discussing their new film alongside director David Leitch and stunt doubles Ben Jenkins and Logan Holladay. 

During one scene in Fall Guy — in which the Barbie star portrays Colt, a stuntman who’s in love with film director Jody Moreno, played by the Oppenheimer actress — Jody catches Colt crying while listening to the pop star’s “All Too Well” alone in his car. When asked whether he or his character is a bigger Swiftie, Gosling replied in the third person, “Oh, Ryan Gosling.”  

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“Oh, my God, yeah,” Blunt agreed, adding that she’s also a fan of Swift. “Who isn’t?” 

The two went on to share their personal favorite tracks in the 14-time Grammy winner’s discography, with Gosling revealing, “‘All Too Well’ right now has a real soft spot in my heart.” 

“I’d say ‘Cruel Summer’ is pretty up there for me,” added Blunt. 

Both of the stars’ picks are widely loved by Swift’s fanbase, with each song reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 at different points in time. The 10-minute version of “All Too Well” became the longest song to ever rule atop the chart in 2021, and “Cruel Summer” spent four weeks at the summit in 2023, a full four years after Swift released Lover.  

Watch Gosling and Blunt discuss their favorite Swift tracks, Fall Guy and more above. The film arrives May 3.

10 Apr 2024

‘Drag Race’ Alum Katya Checks Into Rehab, Postpones Tour Dates With Trixie Mattel

Drag star Katya announced on Tuesday (April 9) that she’s taking a break from her career to focus on her health and sobriety.

In a video posted to her Instagram, Katya shared that she is currently seeking treatment for her addiction, meaning that her upcoming tour dates with friend and fellow Drag Race star Trixie Mattel would be postponed. “So, there’s a saying for the active alcohol or drug addict, [that] the trajectory of the life course has three possible outcomes: A. jail, B. institutions or C. death,” she said. “Unfortunately, I find myself squarely and firmly and quite uncomfortably in the B camp right now.”

Continuing, the star said that in order to “make things good” for her fans, “I gotta make things good for me right now.” She went on to say that all rescheduled dates or “potential loss of money” from fans would be addressed and “rectified” soon. “I gotta swiftly and competently rectify my a– right now,” she added. “Thank you so much for your patience and compassion, and I hope that you have a wonderful day.”

Katya and Trixie had a pair of shows for their live version of their podcast The Bald and the Beautiful scheduled this week for Thursday and Friday in Sacramento, Calif., (April 11) and Albuquerque, N.M. (April 12). In a statement posted to its Instagram Stories, event organizer Obsessed expressed its well-wishes for Katya, and revealed that the Sacramento and Albuquerque dates had been officially rescheduled for Sept. 7 and 9, respectively.

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A number of fellow drag stars sent Katya their well wishes in the comments section of her video. All Stars 5 winner Shea Couleé shared her support and thanked Katya for “being brave enough to share with us and tackle this obstacle face on.” Season six Drag Race star Laganja Estranja added, “As a recovering alcoholic, I feel this deeply. I am always a text or phone call away. I love you so much, and you have my full support!!”

Watch Katya’s video below: