Music News

Madonna Thanks Her Kids & Friends for Their Support One Month After Hospitalization: ‘How Lucky I Am to Be Alive’

Madonna was thankful for the kindness of her loved ones when she was hospitalized and recovering from a bacterial infection last month.

The 64-year-old pop icon’s infection was “serious,” according to manager Guy Oseary, and landed her in the ICU for a few days.

“Love from family and friends is the best Medicine. One month out of the hospital and I can reflect,” Madonna wrote to fans on Sunday (July 30). She posted the update on her official social media accounts.

“As a Mother you can really get caught up In the needs Of your children and the seemingly endless giving,” said Madonna. “But when the chips were down my children really showed up for me. I saw a side to them I had never seen before. It made all the difference.”

She added, “So did the love and support from my friends.”

In her letter, Madonna described an incredible gift she received from manager Oseary while she was recuperating: “A Polaroid taken by Andy Warhol of Keith Haring wearing a jacket with Michael Jackson’s face painted on it. A perfect triangle of Brilliance.”

“I sobbed when I opened this gift because I realized how lucky I am to be alive. And how fortunate I am to have known these people and so many others who are also gone. Thank you @guyoseary for this gift! And Thank you to all my angels who protected me and let me Stay to finish doing my work!” she wrote.

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In a video posted earlier in the week, the singer promoted the 40th anniversary celebration of her 1983 debut album and the song that helped boost her to global stardom, “Lucky Star.”

On the Thursday post she noted, “To be able to move my body and dance just a little bit makes me feel like the Luckiest Star in the world!”

See Madonna’s latest update plus new photos she shared, on Instagram here.

Cardi B Throws Mic at Concertgoer Who Splashed Drink at Her Onstage

Cardi B got even with a concertgoer who tossed a drink at her during the rapper’s performance in Las Vegas on Saturday (July 29).

In a video circulating on social media, the 30-year-old hip-hop star is seen hurling a microphone at an unruly audience member after they splashed their beverage on her during a performance at Drai’s Beachclub.

Cardi was in the middle of delivering her hit song “Bodak Yellow (Money Moves)” — which spent three weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 2017 — when the incident occurred. Afterwards, she retweeted a video of what went down. In the clip, the rapper seems surprised after being splashed by the liquid from the cup, but then turns angry and throws the mic at them while appearing to yell.

Cardi teamed up with her husband Offset on his new song “Jealousy,” which dropped Friday (July 28). The Migos rapper’s latest track sees him alongside Cardi dodging haters in a major kiss-off. “You offended when I be on defense/ They’re too worried ’bout me and my n—a/ You should worry ’bout the n—a yours sleep with, hmm,” she raps.

Cardi is the latest victim of a dangerous trend in which artists are being struck by objects while performing at concerts. In recent weeks, Drake called out a fan for throwing a vape on stage; Bebe Rexha was injured when a cell phone was hurled at her face; a fan tossed her dead mother’s ashes up onto P!nk’s stage; Kelsea Ballerini was struck by an object mid-song; someone sent a sex toy flying at Lil Nas X; and a mysterious object pelted Harry Styles near the eye and left him wincing in pain.

See Cardi’s reaction to a drink being tossed on her in a video here.

Haim Joins Taylor Swift on Stage Dressed Up as ‘Bejeweled’ Stepsisters for ‘No Body, No Crime’

Haim had some tricks up their sleeves for their second weekend on Taylor Swift‘s Eras Tour. Este, Danielle and Alana arrived on stage wearing dresses like their “Bejeweled” video gowns when they joined Swift on “No Body, No Crime” in Santa Clara, California, on Friday (July 28).

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“hi from the step sisters!” the real-life sisters wrote Saturday (July 29) on Instagram. They shared a series of photos and a backstage video from the night before at Levi’s Stadium that featured a look at their “Bejeweled”-inspired dresses. The trio guest-starred in Swift’s self-directed music video that was released in October.

“we literally filmed this on our way to stage,” Haim added in a caption on TikTok about Friday night’s hijinks.

“No Body, No Crime” has been a new Evermore-era song on the setlist since Haim joined the tour as an opening act. Swift and Haim debuted it live together on July 22 in Seattle. Their collab replaced “‘Tis the Damn Season” on the setlist.

Swift will play Levi’s Stadium again Saturday night before heading to Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium to wrap the North American leg of her tour with six concerts. Haim is among the opening acts for the remaining dates.

Watch a clip of Friday night’s “No Body, No Crime” performance below.

Selena Gomez Shares Gorgeous Swimsuit Photos and a ‘Randemz’ Gallery

Selena Gomez must be having an incredible summer, based on new photos and video clips of the singer/actress out at sea, looking completely radiant and carefree in a pink swimsuit.

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Gomez, pictured in a pretty bikini and denim overalls — and wearing no, or very minimal, makeup — gave fans a glimpse at her day having fun in the sun on Saturday (July 29).

In one video, she gazes at the camera and holds her hair back in the wind. In pictures, she poses with friends and for the shot, with the ocean and a blue sky as her backdrop.

On Friday, she posted a random collection of photos on her Instagram feed — which included pics of her staring at her iced coffee, eating meals, hanging out with pals and taking selfies.

The abundance of new photos of the pop star has made fans happy: One commented, “Are we dreaming????? You’re so active omg.”

And just a couple days ago, Gomez was on Instagram sharing pictures and a sweet birthday message for her longtime friend Francia Raisa.

See her latest Instagram Stories video here and snapshots here. Gomez also uploaded her “randemz” photo dump on Friday.

The Chicks Postpone This Weekend’s Tour Dates Due to Illness

The Chicks have postponed more tour dates due to illness, the band announced.

Concerts that were originally set for Nashville, Tenn., on July 27, Knoxville, Tenn., on July 29, and Greensboro, N.C., on July 30 were called off this week.

After announcing that they had to cancel the Nashville show just hours before showtime on Thursday, on Friday afternoon the country group informed fans that this weekend’s concerts in Knoxville and Greensboro were also not happening.

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“We have made the difficult decision to also reschedule our shows in Knoxville and Greensboro due to illness. We are so sorry for the inconvenience, but our priority is to put on a show you all deserve,” The Chicks wrote in an update on their official social media accounts.

The Chicks have already announced makeup dates for the postponed concerts: Greensboro, N.C., has been rescheduled for Aug. 8 at Greensboro Coliseum Complex, Knoxville, Tenn., has been rescheduled for Sept. 21 at Thompson-Boling Arena, and Nashville, Tenn., has been rescheduled for Sept. 23 at Bridgestone Arena.

“All original tickets will be honored at the rescheduled performances,” they posted on Friday. “Wild Rivers will still support the newly rescheduled dates. There are no changes to additional dates at this time.”

The Chicks — Martie Maguire, Natalie Maines and Emily Strayer — are currently touring across North America on The Chicks World Tour 2023. The world tour launched in June in Oslo, Norway.

See the band’s latest tour update below.

Hayley Williams Shares Health Update Following Paramore Concert Postponements: ‘A Week of Misery’

Hayley Williams is sharing an update on her health after rescheduling a handful of Paramore concerts due to an illness.

The 34-year-old singer-songwriter took to her Instagram Story on Friday (July 28) to pen an emotional letter to fans explaining why her band was recently forced to postpone four live dates in the United States.

“As you know, we postponed a handful of dates due to illness. We kick back up Saturday in Tulsa (!!!) after a week of misery, sadness, and bellyfuls of antibiotics and steroids,” Williams wrote, referring to the group’s July 29 concert at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Okla. “For the record, we did not have food poisoning or a band-wide s— fest.”

Last Saturday (July 22), Paramore postponed their concert at San Francisco’s Chase Center just hours before it was slated to take place. The group later postponed additional dates in Seattle, Portland and Salt Late City due to an “illness within the touring party.” All of the concerts have been rescheduled for August.

“In all seriousness, this past week has been really tough,” the “Ain’t It Fun” singer continued in her post. “Nobody would know this but I started getting sick in Houston (non contagious) and muscled my way all the way through LA. Adrenaline is a wonder! But by the time the excitement and the nerves from all the LA shenanigans wore off, my body just gave out.”

Williams noted that touring has grown increasingly difficult with age.

“Touring is different at 34 than it was at 16, when leaving home felt like the greatest escape,” she wrote. “At this age, I have my own home life, a community, a dog, my sisters and the rest of my family who are getting older… Alf and I go on neighborhood walks with my elderly neighbor and her dog. It’s quite a lot to leave behind.”

The singer-songwriter continued, “But then, we get on stage for 2 hours and I see the world through this joyous, hopeful and wide-open lens. It’s a view I simply cannot get from home. And it’s very healing — especially as obsessed and addicted to the daily doom-scroll of local, national, and global news as I am.”

Williams concluded her post on an upbeat note, writing, “This tour has done my heart a lot of good. I couldn’t be more grateful for the faces I see the first few seconds after we walk onstage during the intro. Those people revive me, nightly.”

Paramore is touring in support of their sixth album, This Is Why, which debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 in February. After their North American tour wraps on Aug. 13 in Salt Lake, the group will team up with Taylor Swift again for the European leg of her Eras Tour, which launches on May 9, 2024.

See Williams’ health update to fans in a fan-captured screenshot here.

Taylor Swift Delivers Live Debut of ‘Right Where You Left Me’ With Aaron Dessner at Santa Clara Concert

Taylor Swift teamed up with her frequent collaborator Aaron Dessner for the first live performance of “Right Where You Left Me” in Santa Clara, Calif., on Friday (July 28).

The live debut of the 2020 Evermore bonus track, which was co-written by The National frontman, arrived during the surprise songs portion of the pop superstar’s set at Levi’s Stadium. Prior to the performance, Swift warned Eras Tour concert-goers that it was one of her more challenging songs to play live.

“Because it’s one of our favorites, there’s more pressure on it,” Swift told the crowd. “Also, this is one of the wordiest songs. I have been rehearsing this for weeks, OK? And I’ve never, ever gotten it 100% right. Not even one time. If this is the time that I get it right, you have no idea what kind of celebration I’m going to be exhibiting after that. And also, this goes for you. If you can get all the words right to this song, you get to pat yourself on the back. You win an imaginary prize. It’s yours. We love this song and I hope that I somewhat do it justice.”

As expected, the songstress goofed up the lyrics before laughing it off and starting again where they left off. “It was too good to be true!” she said. “I knew that I would f— that up! We really can’t let that be it, so now we’ve got to go back.”

This isn’t the first time Dessner has appeared with Swift during the Eras Tour. The singer-songwriter has also popped up in several cities for onstage collaborations of “The Great War,” “Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve,” “Seven” and “Ivy.”

Swift’s second surprise song of Friday evening was the first live performance of “Castles Crumbling,” from her recently released album, Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. The studio version of the track features Paramore‘s Hayley Williams, but Swift delivered the track solo on piano.

The North American leg of the Eras Tour will continue in Santa Clara on Saturday (July 29) and close with six shows at Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium (Aug. 3-5 and 7-9).

Watch Swift and Dessner perform “Right Where You Left Me” here.

Mandy Moore Reveals Son Gus Has Rare Skin Condition Called Gianotti Crosti Syndrome

Mandy Moore revealed that one of her sons is having an issue with his health. On Friday (July 28), the “Candy” singer took to her Instagram Stories to share a photo of her two-year-old son Gus with a red rash on his body, along with some insight on his recently diagnosed condition.

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“This sweet boy woke up with a crazy rash on Saturday am. We thought maybe an eczema flare? Poison oak? Allergy,” she captioned the photo. “We tried to deduce what it could be and did anything to help him find relief from the itch. Went to urgent care. Pediatrician. Dermatologist. pediatric dermatologist. All the while, he smiles and carries on with his day like the rockstar he is.”

She continued, “Turns out it’s a viral childhood rash that just spontaneously appears called Gianotti-Crosti syndrome. It sometimes accompanies a cold but not in Gus’ case. It’s all over his legs and feed and the backs of his arms but nowhere else. There’s nothing to do but a steroid cream and Benadryl at night. And it could last 6-8 weeks.”

According to the National Institute of Health, Gianotti Crosti syndrome is “a rare childhood skin condition characterized by a papular rash with blisters on the skin of the legs, buttocks, and arms.” The condition results in skin lesions that last a minimum of 10 days to several weeks, as described by Moore.

“This parenting thing is weird and hard and sometimes you feel so helpless (and yes I’m ever so grateful it’s only an itchy skin condition). Kids are resilient and as long as he’s smiling through it, we are a-okay,” the This Is Us actress concluded her Stories post.

Moore shares her two sons with Dawes frontman Taylor Goldsmith — the pair tied the knot in 2018. Gus, whose name is August “Gus” Harrison, on Feb. 20, 2021. The couple’s youngest child, Oscar “Ozzie” Bennett Goldsmith, was born in October 2022.

See Moore’s Instagram Story about Gus’ skin condition before it disappears here.

Beyonce Joins BeyHive in Cheering on Blue Ivy During Renaissance Tour Stop in Detroit

Beyoncé stans her daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, just as much as her fans do! During the Wednesday (July 26) Renaissance Tour stop in Detroit, the “Break My Soul” singer chimed in to cheer on her first born child.

The moment came after Blue took the stage with her superstar mother to perform “My Power,” which has seen her go viral in recent weeks for the track’s recognizable — and fun to replicate dance moves — on TikTok. Blue, dressed in a glittering black costume, gave a peace sign to the audience before preparing to leave the stage when the crowd started chanting her name. Bey, who was still in the choreography’s ending pose, joined the crowd in its repeated chants of “Blue! Blue! Blue!”

Beyoncé is a proud mother, but she’s not the only one — Blue’s grandmother Tina Knowles-Lawson told People, “She’s having the time of her life, and I couldn’t be more proud of her because she really worked hard.” She added, “She is 11 years old, and she had one week to prepare, and she’s just getting better and better. So I’m the proud grandma, always.”

When Blue started joining her mother onstage, her mother couldn’t resist posting an Instagram sharing how happy she is to be a mother to her. “My beautiful first born ?? I’m so proud and thankful to be your mama. You bring us so much joy, my sweet angel,” Beyoncé wrote in a May 29 post.

See Beyoncé cheer on Blue in the video below.

Staind Notches First Mainstream Rock Airplay No. 1 Since 2011

Staind returns to No. 1 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Airplay chart for the first time in over a decade with “Lowest in Me,” which rises to the top spot on the Aug. 5-dated ranking.

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The song is the Aaron Lewis-fronted band’s first ruler since “Not Again,” which led for seven weeks in 2011.

Staind now boasts five No. 1s, beginning with “It’s Been Awhile,” the second-longest-leading hit in the chart’s history, at 20 weeks in 2001. (3 Doors Down‘s “Loser” is the record winner: 21 weeks at No. 1 in 2000-01.) Staind also led with “So Far Away” in 2003 and “Right Here” in 2005.

In between “Not Again” and “Lowest in Me,” Staind hit Mainstream Rock Airplay with three titles, paced by the No. 5-peaking “Eyes Wide Open” in 2012. Lewis has also charted songs solo on both Mainstream Rock Airplay and Country Airplay between 2000 and 2021.

Concurrently, “Lowest in Me” bullets at its No. 4 best on the all-rock-format, audience-based Rock & Alternative Airplay survey with 4.1 million audience impressions, up 3%, July 21-27, according to Luminate. It’s tied for the band’s top-charting song on the ranking, which began in 2009, equaling the peak of “Not Again.”

In addition to its mainstream rock radio airplay, “Lowest in Me” has so far appeared on the Alternative Airplay survey for a week at No. 40 (July 29).

The most recently published multi-metric Hot Hard Rock Songs chart (dated July 29) found “Lowest in Me” at a new No. 13 high; in addition to its radio airplay, the song earned 422,000 official U.S. streams and sold 1,000 downloads in the July 14-20 tracking week.

“Lowest in Me” is the lead single from Confessions of the Fallen, Staind’s eighth studio album and first since 2011’s self-titled effort. It’s due Sept. 15.

All Aug. 5-dated Billboard airplay charts will update on Billboard.com on Tuesday, Aug. 1.