Music News

Watch Maren Morris Sing Tammy Wynette’s Classic Divorce Anthem Amid Split From Ryan Hurd

Maren Morris had the perfect response to a recent viral video of a groom making inappropriate comments about his bride in the middle of his wedding ceremony — and the country singer may have even hinted at an update about her divorce from Ryan Hurd.

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The video of the disrespectful groom has been making its rounds on social media over the past few days, with viewers generally appalled by the man in question’s comments. In a snippet of the video shared by Morris on TikTok, he tells his soon-to-be wife mid-wedding vows, “I will smack that a– every chance I get.”

The “The Middle” artist stitched the video with a clip of herself, strumming a guitar while belting out the hook of Tammy Wynette’s iconic anthem “D-I-V-O-R-C-E.” “Our D-I-V-O-R-C-E becomes final today,” Morris sings in the TikTok.

Billboard has reached out to both Morris’ and Hurd’s reps for comment.

The Grammy winner’s take on the 1968 classic — which reached No. 63 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the Hot Country Songs chart — feels especially poignant amid her recent split from Hurd, with the Billboard Pride cover star filing for divorce after five years of marriage earlier this year. The pair shares a 3-year-old son.

Last week, Morris told Howard Stern that her divorce was “ongoing,” noting that she was waiting for the breakup to “wrap up” before she even considers dating again. “I think this year has — for a lot of people, not just me — a lot of people that are close to me have gone through it,” she added. “I’ve known so many people that have gone through breakups or divorces.”

Watch Morris’ TikTok below:

Ryan Tedder Promises New OneRepublic Music Is Right Around the Corner: ‘Quietly Gathering Loads of Songs’

Add new music from OneRepublic to things you can look forward to next year. The group’s Grammy-winning singer and songwriter, Ryan Tedder, broke the good news to fans on Sunday (Dec. 17), tweeting that he is “working on New @OneRepublic,” tracks and noting that he’s been “quietly gathering loads of songs for 2024.”

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Even better, the prolific producer/writer added, “think we have the next single picked ? (praying hands, raising hands and heart emoji).”

Tedder has written and produced hits for everyone from Beyoncé, Ed Sheeran, Miley Cyrus and Lady Gaga to Taylor Swift, Lil Nas X, Adele, Paul McCartney and, most recently, Tate McRae (“Greedy). He has also been the mastermind behind his own band’s Billboard Hot 100 No. 2 hits “Counting Stars” and “Apologize.” The group that also includes guitarist Zach Filkins, multi-instrumentalist Drew Brown, drummer Eddie Fisher, keyboardist Brent Kutzle and keyboardist Brian Willett released their most recent album, Human, in 2021; the LP topped out at No. 11 on the Billboard 200 albums charts.

In the period since, OneRepublic released the single “I Ain’t Worried” from the Top Gun: Maverick soundtrack in May 2022, followed by this May’s “Runaway” single and September’s “Mirage” from the Assassin’s Creed Mirage video game.

OneRepublic was one of the headliners for this summer’s inaugural Bud Light Backyard Tour summer concert series, a four-city tour that also included sets from Midland, Dashboard Confessional, Bush and Lindsay Ell. In September, OneRepublic released a majestic, re-recorded version of their breakthrough hit, “Counting Stars,” the song that Tedder said in an Instagram post “changed the trajectory of our band.”

See Tedder’s tweet about the new music for 2024 below.

Harry Styles’ 8th Madame Tussauds Wax Figure This Year Has Arrived

Human Harry Styles will continue to age with time, but his new wax figure will stay the same as it was forever.

The Madame Tussauds location in Orlando, Fla., unveiled its model of the 29-year-old pop star Monday (Dec. 18), with the life-size duplicate featuring detailed replications of everything from Styles’ dark curls and freckles to the tattoos inked on his chest. Wax Harry sports a replica of the cream suit jacket, brown pants and sparkly top Real Harry wore to the 2023 Grammys, where the former boyband star took home album of the year for his 2022 record, Harry’s House.

“Harry Styles is one of the most impactful and celebrated artists in the world, so it’s only fitting that fans in Orlando now have the opportunity to meet his newest wax figure up close and personally,” said Paul Gould, general manager of Madame Tussauds Orlando, in a statement. “We’re honored to welcome Harry’s fans and music fans alike to come sing and dance with his figure at our attraction.”

Orlando’s take on the “Late Night Talking” singer is far from Styles’ first wax figure. Earlier this year, seven wax versions of him were unveiled in Madame Tussauds museums across London, New York, Hollywood, Amsterdam, Berlin, Singapore and Sydney. Prior to that, his likeness was built into an installment at Madame Tussauds London alongside his One Direction bandmates Zayn Malik, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and Liam Payne — which became a popular mourning site for Directioners following Malik’s departure from the boy band in 2015.

See photos of the new Harry Styles figure, now available to visit at Madame Tussauds Orlando, below:

Madame Tussauds Orlando, Harry Styles

Harry Styles Takes Over Madame Tussauds Orlando With Latest Wax Figure Reveal.

Madame Tussauds Orlando

Madame Tussauds Orlando, Harry Styles

Harry Styles Takes Over Madame Tussauds Orlando With Latest Wax Figure Reveal.

Madame Tussauds Orlando

Scarface Delivers a Nostalgic 6-Song Medley for His NPR Tiny Desk Performance

Houston legend Scarface NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert arrived on Monday (Dec. 18), and the artist punched in an impressive six-song medley. 

FaceMob performed a half dozen classics ranging from “My Block,” “Smile” and Geto Boys’ “Mind Playing Tricks on Me” alongside his band and longtime producer Mike Dean. He paid homage to his Geto Boys compatriot, the late Bushwick Bill’s classic verse from the latter song. Face’s storytelling and delivery were equally poignant, as he quipped about recording most of the songs under the influence, most notably his opus “Mary Jane.”  

Recently, Face expressed his affinity for the guitar — an instrument he used a little bit during the performance — in an interview with Fender. “All my uncles were left-handed, but flipped their guitar to play right-handed … what some people would call the ‘right way,’” he said. “Me, I didn’t know how to play, so I took it and played upside down. So the chords that he was making were right for him, but upside down for me. I didn’t know any better, so I guess it was easy. The first song I ever learned on the guitar was ‘I’d Love to Change the World’ by Ten Years after. And then I started playing ZZ Top’s ‘La Grange’.”

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Tiny Desk producer DJ Cuzzin B raved about Face’s performance on X, dubbing it the “best hip-hop Tiny Desk we’ve ever put out.”

Tiny Desk celebrated its 15th anniversary this year and has featured performances from Tyler, the Creator, Freddie Gibbs and Anderson .Paak and more. 

Watch Scarface’s performance below. 



Here’s the $5K Luxury Gift the Chiefs Owners Gave Taylor Swift for Her Birthday

Taylor Swift got quite the bejeweled birthday gift from the owners of the Kansas City Chiefs.  

The pop star turned 34 on Wednesday (Dec. 13), and Gracie and Ava Hunt – daughters of franchise owner Clark Hunt – marked the occasion by sharing photos with Swift holding a luxurious gift box at one of Kansas City’s games. Since then, the contents of the present have been revealed, with the Kansas City Star reporting that Tavia Hunt, wife of Clark Hunt, shared on Instagram that the 12-time Grammy winner received a bedazzled “Judith Leiber miniaudiere Swarovski microphone purse.”  

“Thank you @joshie_82 and @neimanmarcusnorthpark for procuring the perfect @judithleiberny gift!?✨,” Gracie captioned her post, also sharing snaps of her posing with Swift at various meet-and-greets through the years. 

According to his Instagram bio, Josh Trevino is a personal shopper and stylist. As for the microphone handbag, acquiring one will cost you about $5,000 — $4,995.00, to be exact – per the Judith Lieber website.  

The Hunt family gave Swift the accessory at the Dec. 10 Chiefs vs. Buffalo Bills game, where the “Anti-Hero” singer cheered on her boyfriend, tight end Travis Kelce, from her usual perch in a box suite overlooking Arrowhead Stadium. Days later, she stepped out with friends in New York City to celebrate her 34th, stopping by The Box nightclub with Blake Lively, Miles Teller and his wife, actress Keleigh Sperry, Wednesday night. 

The following weekend, Swift once again cheered on Kelce – this time at Gilette Stadium for the Chiefs’ Sunday (Dec. 17) game against the New England Patriots. She shared a suite with her dad, Scott Swift, who at one point visited the compartment next door to share some of what looked to be his daughter’s birthday cake with fans. 

Olly Alexander to Represent U.K. at 2024 Eurovision Song Contest

Olly Alexander will realize a lifelong dream next year when the solo star and Years & Years singer represents the U.K. at the 68th Eurovision Song Contest in Malmö, Sweden in May 2024. “I’ve loved watching Eurovision ever since I was a little kid and I’m beyond excited to be taking part next year,” Alexander, 33, said in a statement after revealing the news during the Grand Final of BBC One’s Strictly Come Dancing on Saturday.

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“As a young boy I always looked forward to this incredible event of unbridled joy, the wonderfully chaotic mix of musical styles, theatrical performances, heartfelt emotion and humour,” he continued of the annual international pageant of over-the-top costumes and wildly eclectic song styles that draws an audience of more than 150 million. “I really can’t believe I’m going to be a part of such a special legacy and fly the flag for the UK in the gayest way possible, it shall be an honour! I’ve wanted to do this for a long time and it feels like the right moment to start releasing music under my own name. I’m determined to give it everything I’ve got and put on an excellent and unforgettable performance for you all!”

The singer and actor (It’s a Sin) released three acclaimed albums under the name Years & Years (2015’s Communion, 2018’s Palo Santo and 2022’s Night Call), paring the project down to a solo act in March 2021 and releasing a sultry, acoustic cover of Lil Nas X’s “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” in July 2022. Alexander was recently awarded the prestigious BRIT Billion Awards for crossing the 6.5 billion global streams mark.

“Polydor, as the British home of ABBA and Loreen, have a deep connection with Sweden and Eurovision. And, we also have a deep connection with the trailblazing, cultural force that is Olly Alexander, who we have worked with for almost ten years,” said Polydor Records president Ben Mortimer in a statement. “He is quite simply an incredible talent who we are convinced will make a huge impact for the UK in this year’s competition. We are proud to be supporting him in his bid for Eurovision success.”

All three live Eurovision 2024 programs, both semi finals and the grand final, will air on BBC One on May 7, 9 and 11, with Alexander’s UK Eurovision song — written with Danny L. Harle (Dua Lipa’s “Houdini”) — to be revealed soon.

See Alexander’s post about the Eurovision spot below.

‘Wonka’ Has Sweet $39 Million U.S. Opening Weekend

Timothée Chalamet charmed audiences into theaters over the weekend with his Willy Wonka origin story Wonka to the tune of $39 million in U.s. box office receipts. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the pre-Christmas weekend haul for the film beat expectations and was a good sign for the film’s prospects over the holiday.

The movie also brought in $53.6 million in 77 overseas markets and including early opening screenings in Australia, England and a few other markets the movies total global take of $92.6 million added up to combined receipts of $151.4 million to date for the updated musical take on the beloved 1964 Roald Dahl novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

The film directed by Paddington‘s Paul King stars Chalamet as a young Willy Wonka, with a supporting cast including Hugh Grant, Olivia Colman, Keegan-Michael Key, Calah Lane, Paterson Joseph, Matt Lucas, Sally Hawkins, Rowan Atkinson and Natasha Rothwell, among others.

Leaning into the lyrical aspect of the story, director King said in September that he was determined not to make the movie a “musical where people are singing dialogue to each other for no discernible reason. I felt like it was more like a movie with songs than a musical.” He also said at the time that Chalamet has a “beautiful singing voice” and that the 27-year-old actor’s vocal skills reminded him of beloved singer Bing Crosby. “There’s quite a range, because it does go from a couple of bigger, showstopper-y sort of things, to moments of real, pure emotion and he can do it all… I’m going to sound like a crazed fan,” King promised.

Madonna Teases ‘Troublemaking Queen’ Andy Cohen During N.Y. Show: ‘If You Say One More Bad Thing About Me…’

Madonna has the latitude, and attitude, to say anything she wants during her career-retrospective Celebration Tour dates. And on Saturday night (Dec. 16) the pop monarch did just that when she paused the show for a moment after spotting Andy Cohen in the crowd to give the Watch What Happens Live host a playfully stern warning.

As you might expect, the reality TV icon had excellent seats up front for the gig and according to video of the incident, Madonna couldn’t resist sharing her thoughts in the midst of the over-the-top spectacle celebrating her four decades of hits. “If you say one more bad thing about me on your show… you’re gonna be in so much trouble,” Madonna, 65, said to Cohen, 55, who could not have had a bigger smile on his face during the call-out.

After Madonna spilled some of her drink in Cohen’s direction, she added, “you little troublemaking queen” while Cohen beamed at the attention from the pop idol and mouthed “I love you.”

Cohen posted the video on his Instagram, which included footage of him laughing and lapping up the attention, writing, “I’m a life-long Madonna fan, so it’s a thrill and an honor to be called a ‘troublemaking queen’ by the Queen of Troublemaking. I BOW! Also – go see the new tour. It blew me away!! What a great night. Can’t wait to go back. #TroublemakingQueen.” He also posted a supercut of all the times he’s honored Madonna in his “Mazel of the Day” segment, in which he’s repeatedly praised her for her moxie and untouchable performing chops.

While Madonna did not specify what comments by Cohen she was referring to, the back-and-forth seemed to be all in good fun and part of the unexpected joy of the tour, which has presented surprises on an almost nightly basis. After initially postponing the outing after a hospitalization in June for a serious bacterial infection, Madonna kicked off the 78-date tour in London October at the O2 Arena.

She rolled into New York last Wednesday for the first of several dates in the city, taking the stage late, but elating fans by bringing out her rumored boyfriend, boxing coach Josh Popper and giving her adopted home town a loving Big Apple two-finger greeting. “The relief – the relief that people here speak my language – the language of c-nt. No one is more surprised that I have made it this far than me. I didn’t think I was gonna make it this summer, but here I am,” she said.

The Brooklyn shows have drawn a number of other celebrity guests so far, including Katie Holmes, Chris Rock, Scarlett Johansson, Drew Barrymore and Emmy-winning Ozark star Julia Garner, the actress who was slated to play the singer in an on-pause biopic.

Check out Cohen’s post below.

Lorde Seems to Tease New Music in Cryptic Headphones Post: ‘We Building Stamina For This Chapter’

Lorde seems to be gearing up to share some new music, but in an enigmatic Instagram post on Sunday (Dec. 18) the 27-year-old singer teasingly kept fans at arms-length when it came to sharing what’s on her playlist these days. Rocking a pair of AirPods Max and striped pajamas, the “Stoned at the Hair Salon” star shared a pair of pics in which she’s seemingly listening to something, staring at the camera in one and taking a selfie from above in the other with the tantalizing caption, “Listening to myself.”

Lorde has not released a new album since 2021’s Solar Power, her third full-length collection, though she did tease a pair of fresh tracks during a headlining gig at the Boardmasters Festival in the U.K. this summer; fans have speculated that the songs are called “Silver Moon” and “Invisible Ink.”

Before you get too amped up, though, the singer responded to a comment on the post, in which a fan gushed that “L4 SEASON IS UPON US. Lorde is TEASING NEW MUSIC on her Instagram post this is NOT a drill!!!!!!” The comment also claimed that the singer archived her Solar Power cover art from her feed and changed her profile pic.

Lorde — whose Insta feed only contains two pictures at the moment — responded to the comment, writing, “We’re not CLOSE close you guys… i’m just getting so hype n needed to let u know .. start ur excitement on a low flame and bring it up to a gentle simmer .. we building stamina for this chapter.”

In August Lorde also appeared to tease that the L4 era was ramping up, writing on Instagram alongside a post of her swimming in a green-lit pool. “These times are beautiful and they freak me out and there’s so much to tell you,” she said. “No this is not the start of anything out there, just want u to know there’s a light on inside me .. show it to you soon.”

Lorde typically keeps a low-profile between projects, but in September, she opened up to fans in a lengthy emotional letter, revealing that she’s “living with heartbreak again.” The note unveiled what she described as both emotional and physical pain she’s endured recently, explaining, “It’s different but the same. I ache all the time, I forget why and then remember. I’m not trying to hide from the pain, I understand now that pain isn’t something to hide from, that there’s actually great beauty in moving with it. But sometimes I’m sick of being with myself.”

The post did not touch on any news about her current professional endeavors, but instead focused on what she said was the “really inflamed’ status of her body and the long process of learning to listen to those warning signs. “It might seem funny or be easy to forget, but I make records because I need to,” she added. “The songs are spells; a spell to let go of something, a spell to unlock a door. Every time I put something into words just as I see it, set it to the right music, a knot comes loose in me. But it hurts too, confronting the knots.”

For fans always in search of a clue as to her next era, though, it ended on a potentially promising note. “I know I’m gonna look back on this year with fondness and a bit of awe, knowing it was the year that locked everything into place, the year that transitioned me from my childhood working decade to the one that comes next,” she said. “One that even through all this, I’m so excited for. It’s just hard when you’re in it.”

Check out Lorde’s post below.

‘SNL’: Kate McKinnon, Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph & Bowen Yang Star in ‘ABBA Christmas’ Commercial

SNL vets Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph returned to the show this weekend with Kate McKinnon, who was there to host. Together — and with current cast member Bowen Yang — they hilariously transformed into ABBA and promoted an unearthed Christmas album from the Swedish supergroup.

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“They’re the Fleetwood Mac of cold weather, and they’re the No. 1 band alphabetically of all time,” SNL‘s James Austin Johnson said to introduce the group in a commercial parody for ABBA Christmas.

“You can’t get enough of their music. You loved Mamma Mia!, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again and the prequel, Mama,” he joked.

“And you love how their hits like ‘Dancing Queen’ make you feel young, sweet and 17. And now, being released for the first time, it’s their 1978 Christmas album, ABBA Christmas, with songs like ‘Santa Queen,’” he said, leading into the group’s festive remake of “Dancing Queen.”

Unforgettable album highlights include “Frostitita” and their “‘Fa La La’ number, sung with their signature ‘standing close facing different directions.’”

The ad points out that the holiday album would be a gift “perfect for everyone, from mothers to their gay sons.”

Watch the ad for ABBA Christmas below.