Music News

02 Jan 2024

Lil Nas X Asks Fans If They’re ‘Ready for a Show’ in New Era Teaser

Lil Nas X is gearing up to make his return in 2024, and kicked off the year with another nod to his forthcoming era on Instagram on Tuesday (Jan. 2).

The rapper’s latest post featured him holding a large black machine gun while dressed in an opulent white gown. The second slide in the Instagram post featured a cloudy and rainy landscape with large green hills. Lil Nas’ logo then forms from the raindrops and glows a shade of gold and holographic hue.

“I know it’s been 2 years but….yall ready for a show?” he captioned the post. Fans in the comments section of the post were more than ready for a new material from the rapper, with one writing that they will be “kicking crying and screaming till it drops.” Another excited fan shared, “Damn I can’t comprehend that Montero been out for 2 years, and Nas for like 5 years,” while another added that the announcement is the “best news of 2024 already.”

The 23-year-old’s latest era teaser comes after he released a snippet of a new song back in November. In the tweet he asked fans, “Y’all mind if i enter my christian era ?” and gave fans a clip of the material to come: “Father stretch my hands/ The lonely road seems to last the longest,” he crooned. “Help me with my plans/ Everything seems to go nowhere,” he crooned in the snippet.

Lil Nas X’s next album will serve as his sophomore release as well as the follow up to Montero, which both peaked and debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 in 2021.

See Lil Nas X’s teaser below.

02 Jan 2024

Shawn Mendes Reflects on 2023 Lessons & Welcoming the ‘Lows of Life’

Shawn Mendes has grown immensely throughout 2023.

The “In My Blood” singer took to Instagram on Tuesday (Jan. 2) to reflect on the past year, alongside a video of himself freely singing along to a harmonium. “Over the last year i spent a lot of time singing like this.. I found that in moments of extreme anxiety or fear if i sat down with my harmonium and allowed myself with full trust to sing whatever came out it would often ease the pain,” he wrote in the caption. “It felt so difficult at first to let myself sing without needing perfection but after a while i actually started to fall in love with the dance between the ‘right’ and the ‘wrong’ notes … i realized there were only moments of bliss and euphoria from the ‘right’ notes BECAUSE of the ‘wrong’ notes. The only reason i can sing in key is because i’ve learned to listen.”

He continued, “The biggest lesson for me this year has been to accept and welcome the lows of life… not to constantly need to change or fix something in order to feel high again, because i know if i really slow down and listen when i’m low there’s always something to hear.”

See his post here.

Mendes has been a longtime advocate for mental health, and has opened up many times over the years about his struggles with anxiety. In his 2020 Netflix documentary In Wonder, the singer was as vulnerable as ever. “It’s pretty intense all the time,” he says at one point in the film. “I really think about that a lot. If I tell the world that I’m just a normal human, are they going to stop coming to the shows and listening to the music and is all the craziness going to stop? Then you’re like, ‘Maybe I shouldn’t tell them. I should keep the trick up. Maybe I should pretend I’m Superman for a little bit longer.”

In July 2022, Mendes canceled his Wonder tour as he continued to work on healing his mental health. “After speaking more with my team and working with an incredible group of health professionals, it has become more cler that I need to take the time I’ve never taken personally, to ground myself and come back stronger,” he wrote in his statement.

02 Jan 2024

Mariah Carey Looks Forward to ‘New Beginnings’ in 2024 Amid Bryan Tanaka Split

Mariah Carey is feeling confident as she enters 2024.

The iconic chanteuse took to Instagram on New Year’s Day (Jan. 1) to share a glimmering selfie from her so-called “bad side” — though Carey is clearly stunning from every angle. “New Year, new beginnings,” she wrote in the caption. See her post here.

While she has yet to release an official statement, Carey’s hopeful sentiment comes amid her recent split from dancer Bryan Tanaka after seven years together. Tanaka announced the news on Dec. 26 via social media, noting that the breakup was a “mutual” decision between the duo.

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“Dear friends and fans, with mixed emotions, I share this personal update regarding my amicable separation from Mariah Carey after seven extraordinary years together,” Tanaka wrote in the message posted on Instagram. “Our decision to embark on different paths is mutual, and as we navigate these separate journeys, we do so with profound respect and an overwhelming sense of gratitude for the invaluable time we’ve shared. The memories we’ve created and the artistic collaborations are etched in my heart forever.”

Carey and Tanaka began working together back in 2006, when he appeared as a member of the iconic singer-songwriter’s Adventures of Mimi tour. She confirmed the relationship in an Associated Press interview published in February 2017, after she called him her “boyfriend.”

Carey was previously engaged to Australian businessman James Packer and shares 12-year-old twins Moroccan and Monroe with her ex-husband Nick Cannon.

02 Jan 2024

Toni Braxton Denies Birdman Marriage Rumors: ‘We Are Both Single’

Congratulations are not in order for Toni Braxton and Birdman. The “He Wasn’t Man Enough for Me” singer ended 2023 by dispelling a rumor that she had exchanged vows with the rapper in a Sunday (Dec. 31) post to her Instagram.

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“My dear friend @birdman and I are not married…never been married. We are both single,” Braxton captioned a side-by-side screenshot of her and Birdman that read, “Congratulations! Toni Braxton and Birdman married in a private ceremony in Mexico.” She also used the hashtag “#FAKENEWS” on the image.

Fans in the comments section commended the 56-year-old for leaving zero room for interpretation with in her statement. “That’s probably the fastest a rumor has been dismissed lmao,” one person noted. A second added, “And that is how you clear up a rumor. Clear, concise, and to the point,” while a third wrote, “Not married, never been married, matter of fact we are FRIENDS and SINGLE! #cleared.”

The rumors of Braxton and Birdman’s marriage comes after the pair called off their engagement in 2019, which came three years after they first started dating in 2016. The two stars have reportedly been in an on-and-off again relationship since ending their engagement.

Braxton was previously married to singer-songwriter and past Mint Condition member Keri Lewis from 2001 to 2013. During the couple’s time together, they welcomed two sons: Diezel Ky, 20, and Denim Cole, 22.

02 Jan 2024

Emma Stone Reveals How She Befriended Taylor Swift & How Many Times She’s Seen The Eras Tour

So, when exactly did Emma Stone fall in love with longtime friend Taylor Swift? When the two superstars were just teenagers, as it turns out! In a New Year’s Day The Graham Norton Show interview (Jan. 1), Oscar-winning actress Emma Stone opened up about her friendship with Swift, her Eras Tour experiences and Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) vault track “When Emma Falls In Love.”

Stone, who won the best actress Oscar for her performance in 2016’s La La Land, revealed that she has attended the Eras Tour “three [times] so far,” including the tour’s opening show in her hometown of Phoenix, Ariz. “Mandy Moore, who was the choreographer of La La Land, was [Taylor’s] choreographer for the tour,” Stone explained. “So it was a bunch of lovely things all come together, and it was incredible to see.”

Moore’s choreography and Stone’s performance were two key elements that resulted in La La Land’s resounding success. At the 2017 Academy Awards, the Damien Chazelle-helmed film won six awards from 14 total nominations, a haul that helped the movie join All About Eve (1950) and Titanic (1997) as the most nominated films in Oscar history. Thanks to the La La Land soundtrack, Emma Stone is a Billboard-charting artist; “City of Stars,” her duet with co-star Ryan Gosling, reached both Digital Song Sales (No. 45) and the Bubbling Under Hot 100 (No. 8).

Nonetheless, Stone and Swift’s story stretches back years prior to their high-profile successes. According to Stone, the two met “at the Young Hollywood Awards when [she] was 18 in L.A.” She continued, “We just kept in touch ever since and became great friends.”

The most devoted Swifties have been well aware of the Stone-Swift friendship, and that knowledge provided the basis of fan theories regarding “When Emma Falls In Love,” a vault track from Speak Now (Taylor’s Version). Some fans believe that Stone is the titular Emma, but, for her part, the Easy A actress says, “You have to ask [Taylor]!” Naturally, her response drew hearty laughs from both the audience and her fellow Graham Norton guests, including Poor Things co-star Mark Ruffalo.

Watch Emma Stone spill all the Taylor Swift tea above.

02 Jan 2024

Olivia Rodrigo Remembers Being ‘Blown Away’ By the Songwriting on Lorde’s Debut Album

Olivia Rodrigo can vividly remember the first album she bought with her own money and the huge impact it had on her. “I remember getting my first phone — I was probably 12 or 13 — and the first thing I did was download Lorde Pure Heroine,” the 20-year-old “Vampire” singer said of the “Solar Power” star’s 2013 debut album during The Hollywood Reporters‘ recent Songwriters Roundtable discussion.

“I love that record so much and I remember listening to it as I first started writing songs and just being blown away by her lyrics that are just about being a teenager living in the suburbs,” Rodrigo said of the smash first effort from the New Zealand singer/songwriter featuring such indelible hits as “Royals,” “Tennis Court” and “Team.”

“I just remember never hearing my life be put into a song like that where it just made being young and doing these seemingly unimportant things feel so sacred,” Rodrigo said of then-16-year-old Lorde’s confessional lyrics. “That album is one of my favorites and she still inspires me a lot to this day.”

When thinking about how unusual the sound of first single “Royals” was when it first came out — with its combination of spare, booming beats and deadpan sung-spoken lyrics about Lorde’s teenage disdain for rich pop life fantasies — Rodrigo said the song set its own trends at radio. “I remember hearing that song on the radio at the time,” Rodrigo said. “It was one of those pinch me moments where you always remember, snapshot memory, like, ‘Oh my God, what is this?!’ Changes the trajectory of your life.”

The full hour-long chat featuring Billie Eilish, Dua Lipa, Cynthia Erivo, Julia Michaels, Jon Batiste and Dua Lipa talking about their songwriting styles also touched on the artist’s memories of the first song they ever wrote, as well as their efforts writing music for films and breakdowns of some of their biggest hits.

Watch the Songwriters Roundtable chat below (Rodrigo on Lorde is at the 6:45 mark):

02 Jan 2024

Here’s Every ‘Nonsense’ Outro Sabrina Carpenter Has Performed at Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour

When Sabrina Carpenter first released Emails I Can’t Send in July 2022, nobody expected “Nonsense” to take on a life of its own in the way that it has. While flashier songs like “Fast Times” and “Because I Liked a Boy” got a lot of initial attention, it was “Nonsense” that grew into the set’s runaway hit — thanks, in no small part, to Carpenter’s hilarious improvised outros on her global Emails I Can’t Send Tour.

In essence, every night Carpenter performs “Nonsense,” she changes the lyrics of the outro on the fly. Sometimes she’s simply paying tribute to the city in which she’s performing — and, other times, she’s testing how far she can push the limits of sexually suggestive lyrics.

The original “Nonsense” outro reads: “This song catchier than chickenpox is/ I bet your house is where my other sock is/ Woke up this morning, thought I’d write a pop hit, ha-ha/ How quickly can you take your clothes off? Pop quiz.”

“Nonsense” peaked at No. 56 on the Billboard Hot 100, her second career entry on the chart; the single also reached the top 10 on Pop Airplay (No. 10). Emails I Can’t Send debuted and peaked at No. 23, becoming the highest-peaking and longest-charting LP of her career.

On Friday, June 2, Taylor Swift announced that she would be bringing her record-breaking Eras Tour to Latin America, with Carpenter serving as her opener across the summer and fall in Mexico, Argentina and Brazil. She will also open Eras Tour shows in Australia and Singapore from Feb. 16-Mar. 9, 2024.

Naturally, the singer-songwriter brought her “Nonsense” outro shenanigans to her first couple Eras Tour performances, and she’s already gifted us with a number of hilarious renditions of the track. From Mexico to Singapore, here’s every “Nonsense” outro Sabrina Carpenter has performed on the Eras Tour:

02 Jan 2024

BTS’ Jin Gifts ARMY With a New Year’s Message: ‘I Miss You All’

Jin kicked off 2024 with a special message to BTS ARMY. The vocalist, born Kim Seok-jin, shared a short and sweet video to BTS’ YouTube page to wish fans a happy new year and tell them to remain patient while he’s completing his mandatory military service in South Korea.

“Ta-da everyone! Hello! Seokjin came to say hi for the new year. It’s January, everyone. The new year has come. I will become a year older in January. I’d be in my mid-30s by now,” he begins in the video. “Did you all make a snowman? I’m still in the past so I don’t know if it’s snowing or not but if it snowed you have to make a snowman and go back to being kids and do snowball fights.”

He continued, “I’m leaving this video so you can watch my pretty, handsome face and spend January and February warmly. I miss you all. I miss you a lot. Wait just a bit more and you’ll be able to see me with short hair. I’ll grow my hair quickly this year and I’ll be able to start working hard soon. Guys, please wait a few more months. Now that it’s the new year, we have a few months left. Make a lot of snowmen and think of me as you make them … I’ll be back in February and March, until then, bye!”

Jin, the eldest member of BTS, was the first member of the group to enlist in the South Korean army as part of the country’s requirement for men over age 18 to fulfill military service. Jin entered the army on Dec. 12, 2022; he is expected to complete his service in June 2024. All members of BTS are currently enlisted, with the group planning to reconvene for group activities in 2025.

Watch Jin’s message for the new year in the video above.

02 Jan 2024

See Taylor Swift & Travis Kelce Ring in 2024 With a Sweet Kiss

There’s nothing better than ringing in the new year with a kiss — just ask Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce! The music-football power couple enjoyed a sweet smooch in a fan-shared X post on Monday (Jan. 1).

The second-long clip shows Swift cradling Kelce’s face in her hands as the Kansas City Chiefs tight end leans in for a kiss. The scene appears to be a New Year’s Eve party, with the “Cruel Summer” singer sporting an updo and a sparkly dress, while Kelce wears an all-black outfit.

Earlier on New Year’s Eve, the “Anti-Hero” singer cheered on her boyfriend as the Chiefs took on the Cincinnati Bengals at Arrowhead Stadium. She also supported Kelce at his Christmas Day game against the Las Vegas Raiders.

The couple’s New Year’s kiss brings their whirlwind 2023 to a close — a year that saw both record-breaking success for Swift and the birth of a romance that has captivated the world.

Swift and Kelce have come a long way since the football player first attended her Kansas City Eras Tour stop last summer. In her December TIME Person of the Year profile, Swift revealed how their romance began, saying, “By the time I went to that first game, we were a couple. I think some people think that they saw our first date at that game? We would never be psychotic enough to hard launch a first date.”

As Kelce spends the next month helping his team fight for a spot in the Super Bowl, Swift will be prepping for the grand return of her Eras Tour. She’s set to play four consecutive nights at the Tokyo Dome in Japan from Feb. 7 to 10. Those four shows preview an entire calendar year of touring for the Grammy-winning singer; the 2024 Eras Tour shows will visit Australia, Europe and North America, and feature opening acts such as Sabrina Carpenter, Paramore and Gracie Abrams.

In 2023, Taylor Swift reigned as Billboard’s No. 1 artist of the year. Her Midnights (No. 2) and Lover (No. 9) albums both ranked among the ten biggest Billboard 200 albums of 2023, while her “Anti-Hero” ranked as the No. 4 biggest Hot 100 song of that year.

See Taylor and Travis’ sweet smooch below:

02 Jan 2024

Backstreet Boys’ AJ McLean and wife Rochella DeAnna Announce Divorce After 12 Years

Backstreet Boys member AJ McLean and wife Rochelle DeAnna McLean announced on Monday (Jan. 1) that they have decided to end their 12-year marriage. The couple, who separated a year ago, released a joint statement confirming their divorce.

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“As you all know we have been separated for over a year now,” they wrote. “While we have hoped for reconciliation we have decided to officially end our marriage. It is with deep love and respect that we have made this decision.”

McLean, 45, and his ex, 42, also posted about their separation in March 2023, explaining, “Marriage is hard, but worth it. We have mutually decided to separate temporarily to work on ourselves, and on our marriage with the hope of building a stronger future. The plan is to come back together and continue to nurture our love for one another and our family. We ask for respect and privacy at this time. Separation is hard enough without the commentary, please be kind and remember there are children involved.”

The couple married in December 2011 after dating for six years and share two daughters, Ava (who goes by Elliott) and Lyric. “Our focus now is moving forward in the healthiest possible way with friendship and coparenting our girls at the forefront of this next chapter,” their joint New Year’s day post continued. “We appreciate your kindness, respect and privacy at this time.”

McLean was on hand in November along with the members of *NSYNC, Camila Cabello and more stars to celebrate the release of Trolls Band Together.

The BSB are scheduled to play a gig at Valaria de la Feria in Leon, Mexico on Feb. 3 before kicking off their four-gig Backstreet’s Back at the Beach residency at the Moon Palace Resort in Cancun on April 18.

Check out the couple’s post below.