Music News

Taylor Swift Goes Wild With Brittany Mahomes & Jason Kelce for Travis Kelce’s Touchdowns: Watch

Touchdown, Chiefs! Travis Kelce was responsible for two of Kansas City’s TDs at their playoffs game against the Buffalo Bills Sunday (Jan. 21), from which they emerged victorious 27-24. Of course, Taylor Swift was there to cheer him on alongside the tight end’s brother, Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce, and Brittany Mahomes, who is married to Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. 

The game was tense from start to finish, with neither team ever leading by more than seven points at a time. In the first half, Travis helped KC take the lead over Buffalo by catching a 22-yard pass in the end zone, after which he chucked the ball into the stands and held up a hand-heart (one of Swift’s signature onstage moves, cough cough). 

Meanwhile, the “Anti-Hero” singer was absolutely freaking out with the rest of the Chiefs Kingdom VIPs in their box suite at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y. NFL cameras captured her cheering and hugging friends, including longtime pal Cara Delevingne. 

Later, No. 87 once again recovered the lead for the Chiefs, catching the ball from quarterback Mahomes and just barely squeezing past the Bills’ blue-fitted defensive players into the end zone before they took him down. After his second touchdown, Swift collapsed with glee into Brittany’s arms, the two women jumping up and down in a hug.  

In the background sat Jason Kelce, shirtless and guzzling a beer. At one point, he jumped out of the suite window to cheer for his little brother in the stands, where he then picked up a little girl and held her up to the box so that Swift could see her handmade “I <3 T> 

See Taylor, Travis and friends celebrate the younger Kelce’s touchdowns below: 



Grand Ole Opry Apologizes to Fans After Elle King’s Wobbly, Profanity-Laced Performance at Dolly Parton Tribute

The Grand Ole Opry apologized to offended fans over the weekend after singer Elle King unleashed a profanity-laced rant during a Dolly Parton tribute concert at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium on Friday celebrating the iconic singer’s 78th birthday. The mea culpa came after King, who described herself onstage as “f–king hammered,” was attempting a cover of Parton’s 2001 song “Marry Me,” during which the “Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home)” singer admitted she could not remember the lyrics.

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In video clips of the incident, King appears to fumble for the lines to the song, singing instead “I don’t give a s–t” and “I don’t know the lyrics to these things in this f–king town… Don’t tell Dolly ’cause it’s her birthday,” holding the last word for an extended beat before rolling her eyes exaggeratedly.

The singer then turned her attention to the surprised crowd, telling them, “I’m not even gonna lie. That’s a b-side for ya. I’m not even gonna f–kin’ lie. Y’all bought tickets for this s–t? you ain’t getting your money back… I’ll tell you one thing more. Hi, my name is Elle King and I’m f–king hammered.” When a member of King’s band suggested she sing one of her own songs instead of trying another Parton cover, King responded, “I can barely play another person’s song, let me see if I can play one of mine.”

King’s uneven performance drew the ire of many country music fans and resulted in an apology from the Opry, which tweeted “We deeply regret and apologize for the language that was used during last night’s second Opry performance.” The tweet came in response to a message from a disgruntled attendee, who’d written, “It was such a disappointment to spend $300 on tickets for a show where one of the artists ruined an entire night. I mean it’s The Opry, the greatest country venue in the world. That performance was like lackluster karaoke performer wasted out of their minds. Awful.”

In a follow-up, the person added, “I wish she would’ve been there because Elle King ruined the night with her horrible, drunk, and profane performance. Dolly Parton would’ve been mortified. For our first time at The Opry, it was a shame we all had to witness that.” The show also featured tributes from Ashley Monroe, Terri Clark, Tigirlily Gold and Dailey and Vincent.

Parton’s younger sister, singer Stella Parton, was also disappointed with King’s performance, tweeting, “I didn’t see nor hear the Grand Ole Opry birthday tribute to my big sister Dolly over the weekend. But some lil girl by the name of Elle King apparently cussed and insulted some of Dolly’s fans by not knowing a song. She did admit to being ‘hammered’ her word not mine.”

Stella Parton continued with a history lesson about the Opry, as well as a friendly bit of advice for performers who don’t do their homework. “But let me just say this, it wouldn’t be the first time a Hillbilly went on the stage of the Opry ‘hammered’ but I guess it’s ok if you’re a male but good lord don’t ever let a girl behave that way folks! Double f–king standard if ya ask me. So the Opry is apologizing! Lol,” Stella wrote, adding, “To any lil ego thinking they can learn the lyrics correctly with a half assed listen to one of Dolly’s song. Surprise! You’ll end up looking as silly as that lil girl. Do your homework people. Memorize the lyrics to ‘Jolene’ or ‘COMC.’ My sister loves words. A brilliant word smith.”

At press time a spokesperson for King had not returned Billboard‘s request for comment and it did not appear as if King had commented on the incident on her socials.

Parton celebrated her birthday last week by releasing a deluxe edition of her debut rock album, Rockstar, featuring nine bonus tracks.

Avril Lavigne Sets 2024 North American ‘Greatest Hits’ Tour Dates

Avril Lavigne announced the dates for her 2024 Avril Lavigne: The Greatest Hits tour on Monday (Jan. 22). The North American outing is slated to kick off on May 22 with a show at Rogers Arena in Vancouver and keep her on the road through a Sept. 16 gig at Rogers Place in Edmonton, AB.

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In between, the 27-date Live Nation-produced tour will have Lavigne performing such smash hits as “Complicated,” “Sk8er Boi” and “Girlfriend” in Las Vegas, Phoenix, Ottawa, Toronto, Nashville, Milwaukee, Chicago and Minneapolis before the final scheduled show in Edmonton.

Joining Lavigne on select dates through the tour will be Simple Plan and All Time Low, with Royal & the Serpent and Girlfriends also playing on select dates as opening acts. Tickets will be available first through an artist presale beginning Wednesday (Jan. 24) at 10 a.m. local time, with additional presales throughout the week before the general onsale kicks off at 10 a.m. local time here.

Lavigne will also take her Greatest Hits show on the road in the U.K. and Europe this summer on a run that will will include several festival gigs, including the Pinkpop Festival (June 21) in Landgraff, Netherlands and the Hurricane Festival (June 22) in Schnee, Germany.

Check out Lavigne’s 2024 North American tour dates below.

May 22 — Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena ^

May 25 — Auburn, WA @ White River Amphitheatre ^

May 26 — Ridgefield, WA @ RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater ^

May 28 — Mountain View, CA @ Shoreline Amphitheatre ^

May 30 — Inglewood, CA @ Kia Forum ^

June 1 — Las Vegas, NV @ MGM Grand Garden Arena ^

June 2 — Phoenix, AZ @ Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre ^

Aug. 14 — Ottawa, ON @ Canadian Tire Centre +

Aug. 16 — Toronto, ON @ Budweiser Stage +

Aug. 17 — Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, QC @ Festival International de Montgolfières ~

Aug. 20 — Buffalo, NY @ Darien Lake Amphitheater  +

Aug. 21 — Hartford, CT @ The XFINITY Theatre  +

Aug. 23 — Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts Center  +

Aug. 24 — Mansfield, MA @ Xfinity Center  +

Aug. 27 — Wantagh, NY @ Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater +

Aug. 29 — Camden, NJ @ Freedom Mortgage Pavilion  +

Aug. 31 — Bristow, VA @ Jiffy Lube Live  +

Sept. 1 — Charlotte, NC @ PNC Music Pavilion  +

Sept. 3 — Alpharetta, GA @ Ameris Bank Amphitheatre + 

Sept. 4 — Nashville, TN @ Ascend Amphitheater  +

Sept. 6 — Cuyahoga Falls, OH @ Blossom Music Center  +

Sept. 7 — Clarkston, MI @ Pine Knob Music Theatre  +

Sept. 9 — Milwaukee, WI @ American Family Insurance Amphitheater  +

Sept. 10 — Chicago, IL @ Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island  +

Sept. 12 — Minneapolis, MN @ The Armory  +

Sept. 14 — Winnipeg, MB @ Canada Life Centre +

Sept. 16 — Edmonton, AB @ Rogers Place

^ With All Time Low and Royal & The Serpent

+ With Simple Plan and Girlfriends

~ Festival Date

Eagles Set Final-Ever U.K. Shows on 2024 European Swing of ‘Long Goodbye’ Tour

The Eagles have set what they’re calling their last U.K. tour dates as part of the veteran group’s Long Goodbye final tour. On Monday (Jan. 22) the band — Don Henley, Joe Walsh, Timothy B. Schmit, with Vince Gill and Deacon Frey — announced a three-show residency run at the new Co-Op Live Arena in Manchester on May 31, June 1 and June 4.

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The gig at the U.K.’s largest indoor arena will feature support from the group’s fellow Rock and Roll Hall of Fame members, Steely Dan, with tickets going on sale to the general public on Friday (Jan. 26) at 10 a.m. GMT via Live Nation. In addition the band announced a June 13 gig at the Gelredrome in Arnhem, Netherlands.

The band is slated to hit the road again on Feb. 2 for the first of two shows at the Moody Center in Austin, TX, followed by a run of North American stops in St. Louis, Omaha, Tulsa, Houston, New Orleans, Hollywood (FL), Orlando, Toronto and Charlotte before heading overseas.

During a four-night run at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, Calif. in early January, the veteran rock group paid homage to the venue they first played in 1975, while also offering tributes to some fallen comrades they’ve lost along the way.

“It’s good to be back here at the Forum,” singer Henley said at one of the gigs. “We consider the Forum to be our home field. … They’ve improved the place a lot since then. Remember all those ugly yellow and orange seats?” he joked about the different color scheme when the Lakers played at the Forum before moving to Staples Center in 1999. The 21-song set also featured nods to late bandmates Glenn Frey and Randy Meisner, as well as their “dear friend” Jimmy Buffett via Henley’s 1984 solo hit “The Boys of Summer,” a fitting tribute to the beach life-loving “Margaritaville” singer who died in September 2023.

See the announcement below.

Eminem Loses It When Camera Catches Him Cheering on Beloved Detroit Lions During Playoff Win

The Kansas City Chiefs aren’t the only NFL team in the playoff run with a superstar super fan. While Taylor Swift was getting her by-now-familiar screen time cheering on boyfriend Travis Kelce during KC’s hard-fought win over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday night (Jan. 22), earlier in the day the Detroit Lions had their own mega-platinum No. 1 fan firing up the crowd on the way to a punching the Motor City team’s ticket into the NFC championship round for the first time in 32 years.

D-town legend Eminem was once again in a skybox watching the action from on high on Sunday, and at one point in the game the big screen flashed a now-legendary September tweet from the rapper in which he wrote, “Let’s f–king go!!!! Detroit.” That got fans hyped up as the stadium speakers blasted the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer’s iconic 8 Mile pump-up anthem, “Lose Yourself.”

But when the cameras swung up to Slim Shady in the box, the MC — decked out in Lions gear, naturally — jumped up, flexed hard and screamed before pounding his chest and sitting back down in a moment that encapsulated the sheer, unrestrained joy felt by long-suffering Lions fans as they watched their beloved hometown heroes slip by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Em also responded to a meme featuring a picture of his 8 Mile character B-Rabbit driving around town with the caption, “[Lions QB Jared] Goff and the Lions pulling up to the NFC Championship game,” writing, “Can’t believe I did it again!!! @Lions.”

The tweet was the follow-up to an offer Eminem made last week, telling Lions coach Dan Campbell that he’s ready to help break the team’s three-decade playoff drought. “Yo, Dan, I’m reporting. I’m going to report. Third quarter,” the 5’8′, 150 pound Rap God said. “I’m reporting, offensive line, eligible receiver. I’ll be the quarterback, the entire line, (the) offensive line. And the receiver, I will throw it to myself and score a touchdown. In the third quarter. Just give me a uniform. Or at least just a helmet.”

It wasn’t the first time Marshall has offered to suit up for his favorite team. Back in 2022, the then-49-year-old appeared in an episode of HBO’s NFL series Hard Knocks, claiming he was ready to lace up whenever needed. “I said I’m here for whatever position. I’m here. Any of ‘em. All of ’em,” Em said while hanging on the sidelines at a Lions practice.

The Lions move on to the NFC championship game next week against the top-seeded San Francisco 49ers in search of the team’s first-ever Super Bowl appearance.

Watch video of Eminem at the Lions game cheering on his team.

John Williamson Suffers ‘Significant’ Hand Injury, Nixes Concerts

Australian “bush music” legend John Williamson has pulled out of four scheduled concerts following suffering a “significant” hand injury.

Williamson is recovering from surgery to his left hand after it was crushed by a rock sculpture at his Willoshed, the singer and songwriter’s hinterland property which he opens-up to guests for live performances.

Due to his injury, Williamson’s planned performance at the Tamworth Music Festival on Australia Day, Jan. 26, has been canceled, though Williamson plans to make the trip to Australia’s so-called “home of country”.

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“Tamworth bound,” he writes on Instagram, “I won’t be able to play guitar but I’ll be celebrating with all my country mates instead.”

In a separate post on Facebook, he adds, “I’ll see you at Tamworth for the Golden Guitar Awards and perhaps a cold beer instead.”

Dates at Redland Performing Arts Centre (Feb. 1), Ipswich Civic Centre (Feb. 2) and Toowoomba’s Empire Theatre (Feb. 3) are all postponed. His next round of dates are due to start March 3 with a concert at Home of the Arts on the Gold Coast.

A musician and conservationist, Williamson’s career spans more than 50 years. The 78-year-old has sold more than 5 million albums and accumulated more than one billion streams. Over time, he has collected 28 Golden Guitar awards, three ARIA Awards and in 2010 he was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame.

Tamworth has a special place in his heart. In January 2022, Williamson was honored with a life-sized bronze statue in his image, permanently located in the New South Wales town’s main street.

Williamson’s signature song “True Blue” is an alternative national anthem, and “Rip Rip Woodchip” was embraced by logging protestors in the ’80s. In 1992 he was made a Member of the Order of Australia “for service to Australian country music and in stimulating awareness of conservation issues.”

Last year saw Williamson hit the road for an extensive touring schedule, which included a spot on the Deni Ute Muster, and a performance with Morgan Evans onstage at the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall. In October 2023, he released “Be a Part of This Land” through Warner Music Australia, a song that encourages everyone in Australia to come together and appreciate the land they live on.

Taylor Swift Mingles With Travis Kelce’s Family, Including Jason Kelce & Wife Kylie, at Chiefs-Bills Playoff Game

Taylor Swift and the Kelce family were seen watching the Kansas City Chiefs vs. Buffalo Bills game together in the Buffalo metropolitan area in Orchard Park, New York, Sunday night (Jan. 21).

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Swift wore a unique Gant varsity jacket in Chiefs colors, with stars drawn at the coat’s pockets, and a red winter beanie in support of boyfriend Travis Kelce at the NFL playoff game.

When Swift was briefly on camera during the CBS broadcast of the game, she was at one point referred to as the “MVP” — the “Most Valuable Princess of Chiefs Kingdom.”

In other videos from Highmark Stadium that made their way to social media, the pop star was shown hanging out with Travis’ brother, the Philadelphia Eagles’ Jason Kelce, and Jason’s wife, Kylie. Travis and Jason’s parents, Donna and Ed, were also by their side in the suite they shared.

Swift — who’s been spending her weekends cheering on Travis, tight end for the Chiefs — also brought a couple of her friends to the game in Buffalo: Cara Delevigne and Ashley Avignone. Last weekend Swift braved the cold in below-zero temperatures in Kansas City.

At Sunday’s game, Swifties were apparently in for a tasty treat, as it was reported that there would be menu items inspired by the singer at the stadium, provided by the Bills’ food service partner, Delaware North. Food options included “Bad Blood” Waffle Fries and the “Karma” Quesadilla.

In just weeks Swift will resume her Eras Tour, starting with performances in Tokyo from Feb. 7-10 before she heads to Australia and Singapore.

Her latest album release, 1989 (Taylor’s Version), recently surpassed two million in sales.

See clips of Swift at Sunday night’s Chiefs-Bills game below. (And, for fun, Jason Kelce’s viral reaction to Travis’ touchdown!)

Man Arrested Near Taylor Swift’s NYC Townhouse After Reported Break-In Attempt

Taylor Swift’s townhouse in New York City appears to have been the target of another break-in attempt, this time by a man who was arrested near the singer’s Tribeca home Saturday (Jan. 20) as police responded to a report of a disorderly person.

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Witnesses said the man tried but failed to enter the townhouse in the early afternoon, the New York Post reported.

Police would not confirm a break-in attempt at Swift’s home, but officers arrested a man on the same street when they were told he tried to open a door to a building, an NYPD spokesperson said Sunday. The man was charged on an unrelated 2017 warrant out of Brooklyn for allegedly failing to answer a summons, the spokesperson said.

Authorities did not release the man’s name.

An email seeking comment was sent Sunday to a representative for the “Anti-Hero” singer. It wasn’t clear if she was at the home at the time. She traveled Sunday to the Buffalo, New York, area, where her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, was set to play against the Buffalo Bills in an NFL playoff game in the evening.

The Tribeca townhouse has been the scene of several other break-ins and attempts when Swift wasn’t there, including some by alleged stalkers.

In 2022, a man was charged with trespassing and stalking after authorities said he entered two Tribeca residences linked to Swift. Also that year, a man was arrested for crashing a car into the townhouse and reportedly told police he wouldn’t leave until he met with Swift.

In 2018, another man broke into her townhouse and took a nap, police said. The same man was charged a year later with another break-in at the building after serving a jail sentence.

Police say alleged stalkers have also been arrested at some of her other homes, including ones in Beverly Hills, California, and Watch Hill, Rhode Island.

Justin Bieber, Will Arnett, Michael Bublé & Tate McRae Announced as Celeb Captains for 2024 NHL All-Star Game

Justin Bieber, Will Arnett, Michael Bublé and Tate McRae will be celebrity team captains for the 2024 NHL All-Star Game in Toronto, the National Hockey League has announced.

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The upcoming All-Star Game will take place Feb. 3 at Scotiabank Arena. The NHL shared the news, along with the the teams’ captain lineup, Saturday night (Jan. 20).

Bieber will be in a blue jersey as the celebrity captain for Team Matthews, with Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews as captain and Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly as assistant captain.

Arnett will wear white as the celeb captain for Team McDavid, joining Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid as captain and Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl in the assistant captain role.

Bublé has been named celebrity captain for Team Hughes. The team, co-captained by New Jersey Devils forward Jack Hughes and his older brother, Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes, will wear red jerseys.

McRae will serve as celebrity captain for Team MacKinnon. Colorado Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon is captain alongside assistant captain Cale Makar, Avalanche defenseman. They’ll sport yellow at the game.

Bieber’s fashion brand, Drew House, worked with the NHL and Adidas to collaborate on designs for the 2024 NHL All-Star collection.

The National Hockey League (NHL) and Adidas have collaborated with Justin Bieber‘s fashion brand Drew House on designs for the 2024 NHL All-Star jersey collection.

“After the tremendous success of our first NHL, Adidas and Drew House collaboration for the Maple Leafs’ Next Gen jerseys, we have looked forward to another opportunity to bring a bold, fashion forward look to NHL jerseys,” Brian Jennings, NHL’s chief brand officer and senior executive VP, said in a statement.

said NHL chief brand officer and senior executive VP Brian Jennings.

The Maple Leafs and the city of Toronto are set to host the 2024 NHL All-Star Weekend from Feb. 1-3. Events include NHL All-Star Thursday on Feb. 1, the NHL All-Star Skills presented by DraftKings Sportsbook on Feb. 2 and the Honda (U.S.)/Rogers (Canada) NHL All-Star Game on Feb. 3.

The 2024 NHL All-Star Game — which Bieber, Arnett, Bublé and McRae are taking part in — airs on ABC, ESPN+, Sportsnet, CBC and TVA Sports at 3 p.m. ET on Saturday, Feb. 3.

Fans Choose Green Day’s ‘Saviors’ as This Week’s Favorite New Music

Green Day‘s Saviors has topped this week’s new music poll.

Music fans voted in a poll published Friday (Jan. 19) on Billboard, choosing the veteran pop-punk trio’s 14th studio album as their favorite new music release of the past week.

Saviors brought in almost 27% of the vote, beating out new music by Kygo and Ava Max (“Whatever”), Nicki Minaj featuring Future (“Press Play”), Norah Jones (“Running”), Bleachers (“Tiny Moves”), and others.

Nearly four years since their last studio LP — 2020’s Father of All… — Green Day returned on Friday with a brand new set featuring a slew of singles, including Billboard‘s Rock Airplay chart-topper “The American Dream Is Killing Me.”

“‘The American Dream Is Killing Me’ was written by Billie [Joe Armstrong] almost four years ago. But we all knew it was just low-hanging fruit. We’re not a parody of who we are, and songs like that need time to be fleshed out. If that means just sitting back and letting life happen, so be it. And it was one of the last things we recorded,” Green Day bassist Mike Dirnt told Rolling Stone in early January.

In addition to “The American Dream Is Killing Me,” the iconic rockers also released single like “Dilemma,” “Bobby Sox,” “One Eyed Bastard” and “Look Ma, No Brains!” To promote the new album, the band played an impromptu show in the Rockefeller Center subway station on Jan. 16 for a segment on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

Green Day will hit the road this summer to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their major-label debut, Dookie, and the 20th anniversary of American Idiot by playing both albums in full on a massive stadium tour. The trek launches its North American leg on July 29 at Washington, D.C.’s Nationals Park. Rancid, the Smashing Pumpkins and the Linda Lindas will open the North American shows.

Trailing behind Saviors on the poll is tropical house producer Kygo and pop hitmaker Ava Max’s “Whatever,” which brought in nearly 26% of the vote. With nostalgic vibes, the throwback smash lifts its chorus from Shakira’s English-language breakout single “Whenever, Wherever.”

See the final results of this week’s new music release poll below.