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Tina Knowles Clarifies Alleged Janet Jackson Shade: ‘I Would Never Criticize Another Artist’

No need to ring the alarm — all is well in the House of Deréon, at least according to Ms. Tina Knowles. The businesswoman, fashion designer and mother to Beyoncé took to her official Instagram page on Tuesday night (Jan. 23) to address rumors that she shaded Janet Jackson by liking a post criticizing the star’s ticket prices for her upcoming tour.

“I just received a phone call that I’m trending for liking a post about ticket prices and an artist overcharging. First of all, being on the other side of that, I know better than anyone what a great production costs, and that it’s expensive,” Knowles said. “I would never criticize another artist, let alone Janet Jackson, who is the queen of production! And her family! I mean they’re the first family of music, always have been and always will be, and I love and respect them.

“Secondly, I stay away from negativity. If you follow me, then you know I am not involved in the mess. What I am guilty of, is liking posts when I’m in a big hurry and I don’t have time to really read, and liking things because I trust that these are people that I follow,” the matriarch continued. “That was a big mistake, I will never do that again. So, I just wanted you to hear it from my mouth that I would absolutely never do that.”

The drama stems from Knowles appearing in the likes section of an Instagram post shared by a disgruntled fan searching for tickets to Jackson’s Together Again tour. The post appears to be a screenshot from Ticketmaster that lists the prices of select VIP packages ranging from $839.95 to $2,399.95. “You want Beyoncé prices, have real production. Just disgusted,” read the caption. “I’m not the only one… oh the DMs I’m getting. Way to thank your fans for years of support.” The account that originally shared the post has since been made private.

Many social media users took Knowles’ appearance in the post’s likes as an endorsement of the caption’s sentiments and a jab at Janet Jackson. In the caption of her explanation video, Knowles emphasized that the like was unintentional, writing, “I do know that you can see people’s likes, so I would be pretty dumb to that.”

The Knowles family matriarch also took an opportunity to laud the impact Jackson has had on the lives and careers of her daughters. “I am saddened by this. Janet Jackson is an icon and I would never question another artist,” she wrote. “I took Destiny’s Child to see Janet when they were 15 years old . They always looked up to her and she opened doors for Beyoncé. Why would I hate on her?”

On Tuesday (Jan. 23), Jackson was announced as one of the headliners for the upcoming Lovers & Friends music Festival in Las Vegas on May 4. The music icon’s fellow headliners include Usher and Backstreet Boys. Jackson will follow up her appearance at the festival with the latest leg of her Together Again Tour with special guest Nelly. She’ll kick off the leg at Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert, Calif., on June 4 and conclude at Footprint Center in Phoenix on July 3.

Check out Tina Knowles’ post below:

Did Taylor Swift Secretly Author ‘Argylle’ Book? The Movie’s Cast & Director React to Theories

Dear reader, if you’re looking for answers regarding the theories that Taylor Swift secretly penned the Argylle book under a pseudonym, you’re just going to have to keep reading between the lines. The cast of the book’s upcoming film adaptation has now responded to the rumors, and even they can’t say for sure.

“I mean, they were amazing,” said leading lady Bryce Dallas Howard of the theories in a Tuesday (Jan. 23) interview with Entertainment Tonight. “And I think in many ways, [the Swifties are] certainly not wrong about the inspiration of Taylor …”

“I mean, certainly – there are, you know – it’s unconsciously inspired by Taylor Swift,” added the Jurassic World star.

Headed for theaters Feb. 2, the spy flick starring Howard, Henry Cavill, Dua Lipa and more was inspired by the official debut novel Argylle by Elly Conway. The first-time author reportedly landed a $200 million movie deal with Apple for the fourth book in her reality-blurring secret agent series.

Conway also has zero social media presence, and almost nothing is known about her aside from her writings. That combined with the handful of Swiftian parallels in her works — namely the inclusion of a Scottish fold cat, of which Swift owns two — has led fans on a wild goose chase to prove that Argylle was penned by the 34-year-old pop star in secret.

“I mean it would be kind of cool,” noted Cavill, who plays the film’s titular character. “What if we double-bluffed and it actually was her?”

Director Matthew Vaughn, however, has a more no-nonsense take on the matter. “The Taylor Swift [theory] came up on my radar ’cause my daughter told me off on not telling her. She said, ‘You’re not cool, dad. You’ve got to introduce me,’ and I said ‘I do not know Taylor,’” he told the publication.

“It is not true,” Vaughn added, but not without admitting there is definitely a strange “amount of odd connections” between Argylle and the 12-time Grammy winner.

Movement 2024 Phase One Lineup: Fatboy Slim, Goldie, Kevin Saunderson, Idris Elba & More

Detroit’s Movement festival is back for 2024 with a sprawling phase lineup. Released Wednesday (Jan. 24), the festival will feature sets from U.K. legends Fatboy Slim and Goldie, the latter of whom will play with a live band, a DJ set from James Blake, British experimental producer Floating Points, Detroit techno pioneer Kevin Saunderson playing b2b with actor/producer Idris Elba, Bosnian-German techno favorite Solomun and house icon Honey Dijon.

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The lineup also includes Gorgon City, LP Giobbi, Sama’ Abdulhadi, Indira Paganatto, Skream, Mount Kimbie, DJ Minx, Boys Noize b2b VTSS and many more. See the complete phase one lineup below, with additional names to be added in the coming months.

Movement 2024 will happen in the festival’s longstanding home in Detroit’s Hart Plaza on May 25-27. Tickets are on sale now and start at $289.

Movement is produced by Detroit-based Paxahau, which launched in 1998 as an underground party promoter. The dance-focused company has produced Movement for the past 18 years, helping it gain global renown as one of the world’s premiere techno festivals. Paxahau is run by a team of 15 year-round, full-time employees across four departments: marketing and communications, production, talent and creative. During Movement, they bring in an event staff of 350 to help bring the event to life. 

“This is a labor of love that all of us clustered around since we were young,” Paxahau Founder Jason Huvaere told Billboard in 2023. “Detroit techno culture is what we committed to years ago, it’s second nature.”

Kelly Rowland Stars in Tyler Perry’s Crime Thriller ‘Mea Culpa’: Watch the Trailer

Kelly Rowland puts away her microphone to play a criminal defense attorney in Tyler Perry’s upcoming film Mea Culpa, and now, fans can get a look at her new role in the steamy crime thriller’s trailer, which arrived on Wednesday (Jan. 24).

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Rowland’s character, Mea Harper, takes on the case of a lifetime with Zyair Malloy — played by Trevante Rhodes — on trial for allegedly murdering his girlfriend, and the odds are stacked against him. Malloy is a famous artist and seductively crosses lines of client-attorney privilege with Harper while maintaining his innocence as things get hot and heavy.

“You have no idea who he is,” Mea is told in the clip. “A snake is never violent when stalking their prey. It’s only when they get right into striking distance that they become very violent.”

Mea Culpa, which arrives Feb. 23, serves as Perry’s fifth feature film with Netflix and comes as part of the first-look deal he signed with the streaming giant last year.

Additional producers behind Perry and Rowland include Dianne Ashford, Will Areu, and Angi Bones. The rest of the cast is rounded out with stars including RonReaco Lee, Sean Sagar, Nick Sagar and Shannon Thornton.

In recent years, the Destiny’s Child singer has cut her acting chops with appearances in television series such as Grown-ish and The Equalizer.

While Rowland adds to her acting résumé, the multi-hyphenate will be hitting the stage as part of the star-studded Lovers & Friends lineup coming to Las Vegas in May.

Alongside Rowland, the loaded 2024 festival features performances from Usher, Backstreet Boys, Lil Wayne, Snoop Dogg, Gwen Stefani, Nas, Alicia Keys, Nelly Furtado, Ludacris, Mary J. Blige, Ciara, TLC, and Timbaland, to name a few.

Watch the Mea Culpa trailer below.



 

Jennifer Lopez Set to Be Musical Guest on ‘Saturday Night Live’

Jenny from the block is heading to 30 Rock. With weeks to go until her highly anticipated album This Is Me … Now arrives, Jennifer Lopez will take to the Saturday Night Live stage on Feb. 3 as musical guest.

The episode will also feature Ayo Edebri making her hosting debut, NBC announced Wednesday (Jan. 24), just weeks after the actress won an Emmy for her performance on The Bear opposite Jeremy Allen White. It’ll mark three-time host Lopez’s fourth appearance as musical guest.

The news comes just two weeks after the Marry Me star dropped “Can’t Get Enough,” the lead single from her upcoming ninth studio record. She also released a music video for the track, both of which will be included in Lopez’s This Is Me… Now: A Love Story film. The Prime Video flick will co-star a litany of celebrities — husband Ben Affleck, Trevor Noah, Kim Petras, Post Malone, Keke Palmer, Sofia Vergara, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Sadhguru, Derek Hough and more — and showcase the multi-hyphenate’s “journey to love through her own eyes” through fantastical costumes, dance numbers and narrative.

“I know what they say about me … about hopeless romantics … that we’re weak,” Lopez says in a dramatic shot from the film’s trailer, which she shared last week. “And I’m not weak.”

Lopez’s SNL stint will follow two weeks after Renee Rapp’s musical guest debut on the Jan. 20 Jacob Elordi-hosted episode. This weekend, the show will be helmed by Dakota Johnson and will feature performances from Justin Timberlake ahead of his new album.

Jack Antonoff Calls Kanye West a ‘Little Cry Baby B—h’ Ahead of ‘Vultures’ Release 

Jack Antonoff came out swinging after discovering that Kanye West has an album release planned for the same day as him. 

In a Wednesday (Jan. 24) tweet, the Bleachers frontman did not mince his words. “kanye on bleachers release date is hilarious little,” he wrote, adding that West is a “cry baby b—h.” 

For context, Bleachers’ self-titled album is set to arrive March 8, the same date the second installment of Ye’s planned Vultures trilogy with Ty Dolla $ign is scheduled for release. The first act of the rapper’s much-delayed project is slated for Feb. 9, while the third is expected to drop April 5. (Vultures was originally supposed to be released in October, but continued to get pushed back — first to December, and now into February.) 

Why is this a big deal? Antonoff has been vocal in the past about his distaste for Ye, particularly after the “Donda” rapper’s many antisemitic remarks that got him dropped from almost every one of his business partnerships in 2022. The producer, who is Jewish, simply tweeted in October of that year: “Kanye a little b—h.” 

It’s also worth noting that Ye has a yearslong feud with Taylor Swift, one of Antonoff’s closest friends and collaborators.  

While the Bleachers’ fourth studio album hasn’t yet arrived, Antonoff has dropped a number of singles leading up to its release. In September, he  unveiled “Modern Girl,” followed by “Alma Mater” in November and “Tiny Moves” last week. He also shared a music video for the latter single, starring and directed by his wife, actress Margaret Qualley. 

Meanwhile, Ye released the single “Vultures” featuring Ty Dolla $ign, Lil Durk and Bump J in November and on Tuesday (Jan. 23) posted a spooky album teaser revealing the release dates for the now trilogy. 

See Antonoff’s tweet below: 

Madonna’s Celebration Tour Hits Madison Square Garden: The 5 Best Moments

A little more than three months since it kicked off at the O2 Arena in London, Madonna’s Celebration Tour arrived at Madison Square Garden this week. While the Celebration Tour previously hit New York City in December for three dates, those were all at the Barclays Center – a venue that opened in Brooklyn 12 years ago. Madonna and Madison Square Garden, however, have an extensive history, reaching back to when her debut concert tour, The Virgin Tour, wrapped there in 1985.

So for The Celebration Tour — which is a career-spanning look back on her hits, personal struggles, pop culture impact and enduring influence — it only made sense that the Queen of Pop had to hit MSG despite playing NYC just a month earlier. And sure enough, her Tuesday night (Jan. 23) show (the second of three MSG dates, with her final one slated for Monday, Jan. 29) felt a bit more special than her Barclays gig.

First off, the sound was better. Madonna shaded Barclays as an “echo bowl” when she played it last month, and it’s likely her dissatisfaction with the sound was what caused her to (now infamously) begin one of those shows so late that some disaffected fans filed a class-action lawsuit against her, which she’s fighting. (Their frustration is understandable, although thinking a rock star will hit the stage on time is a bit like expecting a cat will do what you tell it to do – both do what they want when they want to, and that’s why we love ‘em.)

Secondly, and more importantly, the shared history between Madonna and MSG made this already spectacular tour feel elevated. So much of her legend – arriving in NYC at 19 with $35 in her pocket; struggling to make ends meet while getting her career off the ground; making those initial musical waves at iconic NYC venues such as the Danceteria – is wrapped up in the fabric of New York City. No wonder she cops to still feeling “butterflies” when she plays in Manhattan.

From a tribute to two nurses who bucked the stigma of AIDS/HIV in the ‘80s to her “Vogue” guest star, these were the best moments of her Tuesday night show.

The Black Keys, Lime Cordiale, Bootsy Collins Set For SXSW 2024

The Black Keys aren’t just coming to Texas for a talk.

Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney, founding members of the six-times Grammy Award winning blues-rock outfit, are already locked-in as keynote speakers for the 2024 edition of South by Southwest. When the annual live music bonanza rolls around this March, the dynamite duo will also join the lineup of performers.

Organizers today (Jan. 24) announce the third wave round of showcasing artists for the 38th annual edition of the SXSW Music Festival, set for March 11-16 in Austin, TX.

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As previously reported, Auerbach, the band’s singer and guitarist, and Carney, the Black Keys’ drummer, will lend their support to the new documentary, This is a Film About The Black Keys, which enjoys its world premiere at the SXSW Film & TV Festival.

The Black Keys lead a list that’s predictably stacked with heavyweights and hot newcomers from around the globe.

Among the highlights are U.S. funk legend Bootsy Collins; ARIA Award-winning, chart-topping indie Sydney act Lime Cordiale; and Finland’s Eurovision Song Contest 2021 reps Blind Channel.

Other performers in the latest wave include include Angélica Garcia (El Monte, CA), The Black Keys (Akron OH), Boza (Panama), Chase Shakur (Atlanta, GA), Fabiana Palladino (London, U.K.), Flyana Boss (Los Angeles CA), and GOKUMON (UchikubiGokumonDoukoukai) (Tokyo Japan).

They following a first round that included British indie band Dry Cleaning, New York punk rockers Bodega, and Swedish alternative act Waterbaby, and a second announcement with Glasser, SPRINTS, GRÓA, Gruff Rhys, Ho99o9, Holly Macve and many others.

Founded in 1987 in Austin, TX, SXSW has grown to encompass tech, film and TV, music, education and culture. The entirety of the 2024 conference and festival will run from March 8-16.

In April 2021, it was announced that SXSW signed a “lifeline” deal with P-MRC, a joint venture between Penske Media Corporation and MRC, making P-MRC a stakeholder and long-term partner with the Austin festival. P-MRC is the parent company of Billboard.

SXSW 2024 is sponsored by Porsche, C4 Energy, Delta, and The Austin Chronicle.

Visit SXSW.com for more.

Jason Momoa Says Aquaman Inspired By Slash’s Rock N’ Roll Attitude: ‘Not Going to Put Him in a Polo and Some Khakis’

If you didn’t know any better you’d think Jason Momoa was a rock star rather than an actor. With his left arm tattoo sleeve and a similar triangular pattern on the left side of his head, his pumped physique, love of motorcycles and tendency to wear all black, Momoa looks like he could easily be the bassist in a heavy metal band.

And on Tuesday night’s Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the Aquaman star revealed that one of his most popular big screen characters, Aquaman, was actually inspired by his rock and roll hero.

“I built Aquaman a little bit off of Slash. Look at the first Justice League,” Momoa told Kimmel about the 2018 DC action movie starring Momoa as the waterlogged superhero on a mission to stop his evil half-brother from uniting the seven underwater kingdoms in his quest to destroy the dry world. “I’m like, ‘That’s Slash.’ I mean, how do you dress up like you’re playing Aquaman? You’re not going to put him in a polo and some khakis. He was just rocking. The way that [executive producer] Zack [Snyder] designed him, wanted him to be was that he was rock ‘n’ roll. He punched Superman in the face and kissed Wonder Woman. He didn’t care.”

And, not for nothing, Momoa added, “Slash was so important in my life.”

Momoa gets his rock and roll fantasy card punched in his new 8-part Max travelogue series On the Roam — which airs on Thursdays — including an episode in which the actor interviews Slash. “I have to interview him for the first time and I’ve never done an interview,” Momoa said. Though they’d met before, Momoa copped to serious nerves asking the “Welcome to the Jungle” legend some of his most burning questions. “Hats off, because I was so nervous. And I’m also geeking out!… I can’t talk right and I’m so nervous.”

He got over the butterflies and the pair bonded when they visited Gibson to watch a luthier replicate one of Slash’s original guitars. Not only will Momoa and his kids get to watch Slash play one of the guitars he had made in concert, but they also crafted a second one that will be actioned off for charity. On the show Momoa also learns how to make everything from jewelry to knives, while trying his hand at woodworking and learning about vintage hill-climbing motorcycles.

The interview, which kicked off with Momoa rumbling onto the stage noisily on one of his vintage Harley Davidson Panhead motorcycles, also included the actor talking about how he got Metallica to let him use their thundering 1991 song “Wherever I May Roam” as the show’s theme song. “I love them. They’re awesome. They’re everything. I just love Metallica so I just asked them and begged them,” Momoa said, explaining that it made perfect sense for given the show’s title, which is also the name of the actor’s production company.

Kimmel wondered if Slash got jealous that Momoa asked Metallica for a theme and not GNR.

“As a single guitar player, Slash,” Momoa said of the distinction between his hard rock heroes. “As a group, Metallica.”

Watch Momoa on Kimmel below.



Travis Kelce Says Taylor Swift ‘Absolutely Loved’ Meeting Jason Kelce at Chiefs-Bills Playoff Game

Jason Kelce has officially won over Taylor Swift. On the latest episode of their New Heights podcast, Travis Kelce told his older brother that his superstar girlfriend was absolutely enchanted to meet him at the Kansas City Chiefs vs. Buffalo Bills playoff game Sunday (Jan. 21), where both were in attendance to cheer on the tight end as he helped lead his team to victory. 

“Tay said she absolutely loved you,” Travis revealed to the Philadelphia Eagles center in their Wednesday (Jan. 24) episode. 

Jason, whose own football season wrapped up earlier this month when the Eagles lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, shared a box suite at Highmark Stadium in New York with the 34-year-old pop star. Also in the suite were his wife, retired field hockey player Kylie Kelce; Brittany Mahomes, who is married to Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes; and model-actress Cara Delevingne, one of Swift’s longtime friends. 

And while he was neither on the field nor the most famous person in his box, Jason may have been the most memorable part of the game. The 36-year-old athlete went viral several times over for taking off his shirt, guzzling beer, passionately cheering on his brother and jumping out of the suite to join Bills Mafia in the stands. 

At one point, Jason picked up an 8-year-old Swiftie and held her up to the box so that the “Anti-Hero” singer could see the little girl’s “I <3 T>

“[Your] best first impression is the worst impression ever,” Travis ribbed the Philly Specials band member. 

“I’m not going to lie, I gave Kylie a heads-up,” Jason recalled. “The moment we get into the suite, I said, ‘I’m taking my shirt off and jumping out of that suite.’ And she said, ‘Jason don’t you dare.’” 

“She was already telling me to be on my best behavior ’cause we were meeting Taylor, so she’s like, ‘Do not. Be on your best behavior,’” he added, sending his 34-year-old brother into stitches of laughter. “I was like, ‘Kylie, the first day I met you I was blackout drunk and fell asleep at the bar. This is part of the charm. This is part of the Jason Kelce charm. I wanna make my best first impression.’” 

Travis also spoke about one of his most talked-about moments from the game, when, after scoring the first of his two touchdowns that night, he flashed a hand-heart at the unruly mob of Bills fans booing him near the end zone. “Had to spread the love, baby,” he said of the gesture, which happens to be one of Swift’s signature onstage moves. 

“Coming into a hostile environment, I respect it,” Travis continued. “But I just wanted to make sure they knew it wasn’t mutual. I don’t hate you guys like you hate us. It’s all love.” 

Watch the new episode of New Heights above.