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One Direction were famous for not dancing. Sure, loyal Directioners were welcome to tear it up at their shows, but the fellas were not going to do a number for your amusement. But Niall Horan was happy to toss that edict aside, for one night anyway, when he played a choreo-happy pirate on The Late Late Show on Tuesday night (Feb. 28).
The singer, who has a long and fruitful friendship with soon-to-depart host James Corden, was game to play along in a bit in which a gaggle of show tunes-loving high seas marauders tortured their captive with strangely elaborate dance numbers. Wearing a traditional tricorn hat, ruffled white shirt, purple vest and scraggly beard, Horan warned the captured British soldier that he was lucky to be alive.
“This ship, and it’s booty is all ours!” he informed the British naval officer, warning that the person he should really be afraid of is their leader, the dreaded Dreadbeard. We know his name because Horan and Corden sang a whole song about it. “I bet you’ve heard a million tales that tell you who I am,” Corden crooned as a fife and drum track bubbled up out of nowhere and their fellow pirates broke out into a jig as the ship inexplicably lit up in neon lights.
“His name has traveled everywhere from England to Japan,” Horan growled, while their prisoner said the tune did answer his question about who was in charge, but in turn elicited way more questions. “Like what the hell was that?” he asked. “That whole song and dance routine? What was that for?”
“What for?” Horan snarled, barely containing his laughter. “To strike fear into your heart and spread the terrifying tale of Captain Dreadbeard.” Suffice it to say it did not do that and the captive seriously asked if this happened every time they boarded a ship.
Yes, in fact, it seems it does. Which, of course, elicited yet another elaborate number featuring their fellow pirates doing a delicate ribbon dance as Horan slipped into a seaweed-covered veil to portray a delicate siren of the deep while he and Corden shared a tender duet.
“I’m so confused right now, a mermaid broke your heart?” their hostage asked. “And whose idea were the ribbons?… And also, I’ve never met pirates before but I feel like there should be slightly less musical theater involved.” Turns out that was all Niall: he thought the ribbons added a “pop of color.”
The incessant questions sparked a mutiny among the crew, who then grumbled about the amount of high seas rehearsal they have to endure every day, along with gripes about who gets the leads in their marauder musicals. The bit ended with Horan and Corden doing an “All That Jazz”-style routine, complete with a tap dance break and Niall’s quick change into a glittery purple waistcoat for a bit-ending Rockettes high kick routine.
Horan’s forthcoming third solo album, The Show, is due out on June 9.
Watch Horan on The Late Late Show below.
A Florida judge ordered rapper Kodak Black to drug rehab for 30 days on Tuesday (Feb. 28) after he allegedly tested positive for fentanyl while awaiting trial on a drug trafficking charge.
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Broward County Judge Barbara Duffy allowed the performer to remain free until March 7 so he could perform at the Rolling Loud concert near Los Angeles over the weekend, The Miami Herald reported.
Duffy had earlier issued a warrant for his arrest. The 25-year-old performer had missed a court-ordered drug test on Feb. 3 and then tested positive on Feb. 8. He is awaiting trial from a July arrest on a charge of trafficking oxycodone. He has pleaded not guilty.
“You better get it together,” Duffy told the 25-year-old performer, whose real name is Bill Kapri.
During the hour-long hearing, the singer’s lawyer, Bradford Cohen, suggested that a star-struck drug lab technician may have mixed up the sample or paperwork. The tech who took the sample admitted that is possible.
But when Duffy suggested the singer have his hair tested, the defense declined. A hair test could detect drug use back 90 days compared to the few days urine and blood tests typically capture.
In January 2020, then-President Donald Trump commuted a three-year federal prison sentence the rapper had for falsifying documents used to buy weapons. Black had served about half his sentence.
Black is nominated for the iHeartRadio Music Awards’ hip-hop artist of the year and has sold more than 30 million singles, with massive hits such as “Super Gremlin,” which reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100 last year.
Ed Sheeran is completing the equation. The star took to social media on Wednesday (Mar. 1) to reveal that his upcoming album, –, will be arriving on May 5 via Atlantic Records.
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The album, pronounced Subtract, will be the last installment in Sheeran’s decade-long mathematical album era, following 2011’s +, 2014’s x, 2017’s ÷ and 2021’s =.
“I had been working on Subtract for a decade, trying to sculpt the perfect acoustic album, writing and recording hundreds of songs with a clear vision of what I thought it should be. Then at the start of 2022, a series of events changed my life, my mental health, and ultimately the way I viewed music and art,” Sheeran shared about the upcoming album in his announcement.
“Writing songs is my therapy. It helps me make sense of my feelings,” he continued. “I wrote without thought of what the songs would be, I just wrote whatever tumbled out. And in just over a week, I replaced a decade’s worth of work with my deepest darkest thoughts. Within the space of a month, my pregnant wife got told she had a tumour, with no route to treatment until after the birth. My best friend Jamal, a brother to me, died suddenly and I found myself standing in court defending my integrity and career as a songwriter. I was spiraling through fear, depression and anxiety.”
Sheeran concluded by writing, “I felt like I was drowning, head below the surface, looking up but not being able to break through for air. As an artist I didn’t feel like I could credibly put a body of work into the world that didn’t accurately represent where I am and how I need to express myself at this point in my life. This album is purely that. It’s opening the trapdoor into my soul. For the first time I’m not trying to craft an album people will like, I’m merely putting something out that’s honest and true to where I am in my adult life. This is last February’s diary entry and my way of making sense of it. This is Subtract.”
Ed Sheeran’s – (Subtract) album art
Atlantic Records
Sheeran teamed up with The National’s Aaron Dessner — whom he met through pal Taylor Swift — to write and produce the upcoming album. Writing over 30 songs during their month-long studio stint, the 14-track album is set to feature folk-leaning qualities as well as full-band and orchestral arrangements.
Subtract is available for pre-order here.
BRISBANE, Australia — KFC is cooking up a campaign with Australian artist Shannon “Nollsie” Noll that plays into two codes of football with a special menu item and a new “anthem,” fresh out the frier.
Noll, runner-up of the first season of Australian Idol in 2003, is the face and voice of an Australia-wide project with KFC, announced Wednesday (March 1).
First up, Noll and punk outfit DZ Deathrays have cut the collaborative track “Fried Night Footy,” which will soundtrack KFC advertising throughout the National Rugby League (NRL) and Australia Football League (AFL) seasons, kicking off Friday, March 3.
Then comes the food.
KFC is dishing up the exclusive “Shannon Dinner Roll,” which combines hot & crispy boneless chicken with chilli relish, cheese, lettuce and “supercharged sauce” on a dinner roll, and will be available at a number of NRL and AFL games throughout the season.
Freebies will be handed out during the NRL expansion franchise Dolphins’ first home game, March 11 at Kayo Stadium in Redcliffe, north of Brisbane.
“I’m super happy to be working with KFC and DZ Deathrays on this anthem,” says Noll in a statement. “It’s a definite earworm and you’re gonna catch yourself singing it in the shower, the car and maybe even in your sleep. Plus, working with KFC to create the Shannon Roll, talk about a dream come true.”
Though an unusual pairing with Noll and DZ Deathrays occupying different spaces on the music spectrum, both acts command sizeable fanbases in Australia. Since coming to prominence with his run in Australian Idol, Noll has bagged two ARIA No. 1 albums and three chart-topping singles. The title track from his 2005 No. 1 album Lift won an APRA Music Award for most performed Australian work.
Meanwhile, DZ Deathrays own a brace of ARIA Awards in the best hard rock/heavy metal album category for 2012’s Bloodstreams, and 2014’s Black Rat.
Adds Sally Spriggs, chief marketing officer for KFC Australia: ”The anthem alongside the bespoke footy snack, the Shannon Dinner Roll, sets us up for an exciting season of footy ahead.”
“Fried Night Footy” will also be available to stream on KFC Australia’s Spotify page.
It’s not the first time KFC has teamed-up with Australian music talent for a tasty campaign. In 2022, the restaurant chain tapped ARIA Award-winning EDM duo Peking Duk for the “Peking Cluk Burger” and a one-off live event in Sydney, Feastival.
Avril Lavigne has landed at Paris Fashion Week, and continued to proved she’s the ultimate cool girl with her look.
The “Complicated” singer took to Instagram on Tuesday (Feb. 28) to share a photo of her Vetements outfit, which featured an oversized black blazer with quotes in bold white lettering. She paired the look with platform patent boots, futuristic sunglasses and a straight, blonde bob. “PFW,” she captioned the photo, along with black and white heart emojis.
The post comes just hours after Lavigne’s ex-fiancé Mod Sun addressed their breakup on Instagram. “In 1 week my entire life completely changed…I just know there’s a plan for it all. I’ll keep my head up + always listen to my heart, even when it feels broken,” the punk-pop rocker wrote alongside a carousel of photos and videos posted to his Instagram feed. His caption did not specifically mention Lavigne, but Billboard can confirm it is about their split. “Being surrounded by love every night on tour has been an absolute blessing. I have the best friends in the entire world, thanks for always having my back. See you on stage.”
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Reports first started brewing a week ago that Mod and the “Bois Lie” singer had parted ways and called off their engagement. His representative told Billboard, “They were together and engaged as of three days ago when Mod left for tour so if anything has changed that’s news to him.” Lavigne’s team did not respond to requests for comment at the time.
In January, Jennifer Lopez shared that she was invited to join Madonna‘s unforgettable 2003 MTV Video Music Awards performance — you know, the one where the Queen of Pop shared the stage with Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera and passed the pop torch with a kiss to each of the stars. Then, last week, P!nk revealed that she was also asked to be part of the performance — and that Gwen Stefani was invited too.
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Who will we find out was invited next? On the new Billboard Pop Shop Podcast, Katie & Keith are revisiting the lightning-rod moment — don’t forget that Missy Elliott was there too, but was the full “Lady Marmalade” crew invited? — and wondering just what it would have looked like if the stage were a little more crowded.
Listen to the new episode below:
Also on the podcast, we’ve got chart news on how SZA’s SOS hits a milestone 10th week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart and who her biggest competition might be in the coming weeks. Plus, speaking of P!nk, she lands her ninth top 10-charting set on the Billboard 200 as Trustfall arrives at No. 2. Plus, Taylor Swift achieves a rare feat on the Billboard 200 as the superstar has 10 albums on the chart at the same time — but, who else has managed this unique feat?
The Billboard Pop Shop Podcast is your one-stop shop for all things pop on Billboard‘s weekly charts. You can always count on a lively discussion about the latest pop news, fun chart stats and stories, new music, and guest interviews with music stars and folks from the world of pop. Casual pop fans and chart junkies can hear Billboard‘s executive digital director, West Coast, Katie Atkinson and Billboard’s senior director of charts Keith Caulfield every week on the podcast, which can be streamed on Billboard.com or downloaded in Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast provider. (Click here to listen to the previous edition of the show on Billboard.com.)
Halsey celebrated her first time walking as a model at Paris Fashion Week on Tuesday (Feb. 28) with an ecstatic social media post.
“I walked PFW for the first time today with @pressiat_ and it was terrifying and amazing!!!!” the pop star wrote on Instagram. “Thank you Vincent for having me, and congratulations to you and team on such a stunning collection and iconic show! special thanks to @lynalyson_ and blonde slay by @themartyharper and pics by @samdameshek.”
In the glamorous snap, the If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power singer donned a glittering asymmetrical animal-print bodysuit by upstart Parisian label Pressiat with matching headwrap and dress, their tattooed arms on display and eyelids covered in heavy black shadow.
Last week, the budding About-Face Beauty mogul dropped a solo version of her Post Malone collab “Die 4 Me” as the latest follow-up to the aforementioned 2021 studio set. Since that album debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, the singer has also released the one-off “So Good” and joined forces with Calvin Harris, Justin Timberlake and Pharrell Williams on Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 2 single “Stay With Me.”
At the start of the month, Halsey had another musical milestone to celebrate: “Without Me” being certified Diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The 2018 No. 1 hit became the singer’s second single — and first solo effort — to reach the benchmark of going 10x platinum after 2016’s “Closer” with The Chainsmokers.
Get a look at Halsey’s sultry look from the Paris Fashion Week runway below.
Omarion just wants his fans to be safe online.
A recent guest on Dr. Phil was invited to come on the show after being catfished by a person online pretending to be the singer, requesting money from her and even asking to marry her.
The fan, a woman named Simone, shared that the catfish’s “manager wants me to pay $3,000 to meet him.” Despite never meeting in real life, the person Simone spoke with asked to marry her, leading her to believe Omarion purchased a ring for her hand in marriage. Simone revealed that over the two years that she and Omarion’s impersonator started talking online — they first began having conversations in October 2020 — she spent $300 on a fake fan club membership, while her friend sent around $4,500 to the scammer during the duration of their relationship.
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After the episode aired, Omarion took to his Instagram Stories to share a word of caution to his followers. “Be smart family,” Omarion said in an Instagram update shared shortly after the episode debuted. “So many people have stories saying they spoke with me online. I don’t take advantage of people. I respect and appreciate people who support me.”
In addition to the note, Omarion appeared on the episode to share a message with the Dr. Phil audience.
Coming up for the star is the release of his forthcoming album, Full Circle: Sonic Book One, scheduled to arrive in May.
See Omarion’s Instagram Story before it disappears here, and see a preview of the episode below:
Taylor Swift unveiled another merch collection Tuesday (Feb. 28) ahead of her Eras Tour.
The “Through the Eras” collection features 10 T-shirts, each themed to a separate album by the superstar — from her 2006 self-titled debut and 2010’s Speak Now to 2020’s dual Folklore and Evermore and 2022’s Midnights. Each shirt features graphics of Taylor from the particular album era on the front and the list of cities on the hotly anticipated tour route on the back. (For the record, both 2008’s Fearless and 2012’s Red get a (Taylor’s Version) remake in the drop.)
In addition to Swifties being able to choose a shirt that represents their favorite era, the line also includes a black long-sleeve, white hoodie and gray crewneck sweater showing the “Lavender Haze” singer through the years of her 17-year career. Plus, fans can purchase everything from blankets, sweatpants, phone cases, nail gems, mugs and tumblers to luggage tags, stickers, coasters, notebooks, bandanas, activity books, colored pencils and ponchos in case of rain.
As the March 17 start date for The Eras Tour draws closer, Swift achieved another pair of impressive milestones this week. First, she became only the second woman to ever place 10 albums on the Billboard 200 at the same time after Whitney Houston. And second, she tied the record for the most top 10s in the history of the Adult Pop Airplay chart as “Lavender Haze” landed at No. 9 on the chart dated March 4.
Ahead of The Eras Tour, Billboard also rounded up our picks for the 20 songs from Swift’s discography that deserve a spot on the setlist but likely won’t make the cut considering just how much ground she has to cover over the course of the show.
Get a look at Taylor’s “Through the Eras” collection and prepare to pick your favorites below.
Ben Kweller, singer/songwriter and former frontman of the band Radish, revealed Tuesday (Feb. 28) that his 16-year-old son Dorian has died. The singer-songwriter shared the news via Instagram but did not offer any additional details regarding what led to his death.
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“There’s no way that I can be typing this but I am…. Our son, Dorian Zev Kweller, was killed last night,” Kweller captioned a photo of his late son smiling into the camera. “He was only 16 and he was a true legend. Kindest, gentle soul, a friend to all. If you knew him, you know. We’ll never get over him as long as we’re here on earth.
“Please keep his spirit alive with your memories and the music he made: @reallyzev. Dorian Zev wrote and recorded songs every day. A true poet from the day he started speaking. Only a few of his recordings were released but he was on a path and excited about his journey. He had so many plans!!! His first gig was in two weeks, at SXSW. My last text with him was about the merch he wanted to make. My baby boy was at the starting line with so much life ahead of him… I have no idea why things like this happen. We’re in complete shock and don’t know what the future holds. Lizzy, Judah, and I have no idea how to deal with this disaster. Thank you for your prayers and support and we apologize if we are slow to respond to messages.”
Dorian’s label, The Noise Company, also issued a statement following the young musician’s death via Facebook. “It’s with great sadness that we have to even say this… in a tragic event last night, we lost Dorian Kweller, who on this page we know as @reallyzev … this young man represented everything positive in life and the future. A kind heart, a smile that illuminated the world and passion for life and music,” the company wrote. “If you have kids, hug them. If you have a partner, squeeze them extra hard. Love yourself and live every moment with the passion that Zev did every day of his life. We are just in shock and send BK, Liz and Judah all our love and support.”
As Zev, Dorian’s music career kicked off in 2022. The 16-year-old released his first single, “Parachute,” in July and followed up the track with “How I Am,” “4th of July,” “SH3,” “Nobody’s Perfect” and his most recent release, “Hickeys,” on Feb. 24.
Dorian is survived by his parents, Ben and Lizzy Kweller, and his younger brother Judah.
