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The Black Eyed Peas have canceled their upcoming Las Vegas residency scheduled for 2025. On Sunday (Jan. 19), the group announced via their Instagram Story that their planned shows at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino’s PH Live would no longer take place due to “current circumstances.” “To our dearest Peabodies,” the Black Eyed Peas wrote. […]
Chappell Roan is opening up about how speaking out against “creepy behavior” has impacted her career.
In a new interview with the BBC, published Sunday (Jan. 19), the 26-year-old pop star discussed her decision to stand up for herself despite being labeled by some as a “spoiled diva” or accused of throwing “tantrums” about her privacy.
The “Good Luck, Babe!” singer has previously spoken about her experiences with “predatory behavior” from fans on social media. She explained that after years of hard work building her music career, she’s had to set clear boundaries to protect herself from uncomfortable and often invasive interactions.
“I’ve been responding that way to disrespect my whole life — but now there are cameras on me, and I also happen to be a pop star, and those things don’t match,” Roan told the BBC. “It’s like oil and water.”
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In October 2024, Roan went viral after confronting a photographer who had previously made her feel uncomfortable on the red carpet at the premiere of Olivia Rodrigo’s Guts World Tour film in Los Angeles. She had a similar experience with another photographer at the 2024 MTV VMAs.
The “Red Wine Supernova” artist admitted that her outspoken nature has had consequences for her career.
“I think, actually, I’d be more successful if I was okay wearing a muzzle,” she said. “If I were to override more of my basic instincts, where my heart is going, ‘Stop, stop, stop, you’re not okay’, I would be bigger.”
She added, “I would be way bigger … And I would still be on tour right now.”
Last fall, Roan decided not to extend her tour and instead focused on her physical and mental health. The artist credits her grandfather for giving her valuable advice that guides her decisions.
“There’s something he said that I think about in every move I make with my career. There are always options,” Roan shared with BBC. “So when someone says, ‘Do this concert because you’ll never get offered that much money ever again,’ it’s like, who cares? If I don’t feel like doing this right now, there are always options. There is not a scarcity of opportunity. I think about that all the time.”
Roan, who was named Billboard’s Top New Artist of 2024 and is nominated for six Grammys, rose to fame with her debut album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, which peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 in October 2024. The album spawned multiple charting singles, including “Pink Pony Club,” “Casual” and “Good Luck, Babe!”
Karol G is in a league of her own as “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido” adds a 26th week at No. 1 on Billboard’s overall Latin Airplay chart (dated Jan. 25), breaking the record for the most weeks among all songs since the list launched in 1994.
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The merengue tune surpasses the 25-week domination by Shakira’s “La Tortura,” featuring Alejandro Sanz, a record the song held since Nov. 2005, when it outdid the 20-week mark by Son By Four’s “A Puro Dolor.”
“Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido,” released June 21, 2024, also remains as the top performer on the Tropical Airplay chart, where it has led the list for 28 weeks (of its total 31 weeks on the chart). Karol G might also set a new record on the tropical ranking, as she is one week away from tying Prince Royce‘s record of 29 nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1 with “Carita de Inocente” in 2020. (It stepped aside for one week during its run atop the list, when Kyen?Es? sneaked-out one week atop the chart with “El Carnaval de Celia: A Tribute (La Vida Es Un Carnaval/ La Negra Tiene…)” in September 2020.
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“Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido,” commands both Latin Airplay and Tropical Airplay despite a 13% decline in audience impressions, to 10 million, earned during the Jan. 10-16 tracking week in theU.S., according to Luminate. The global hit gave Karol her 18th No. 1 on the overall Latin radio ranking when it landed at the summit last July, the second-most among women, just behind Shakira who continues at the helm with 24 champs.
While “Si Antes” spent its last week on the multi-metric Hot Latin Songs chart on the Jan. 11-dated list (due to the colossal take over by Bad Bunny’s new album), it also left a mark in 2024, tying with Xavi’s “La Diabla” and FloyyMenor and Cris MJ’s “Gata Only” for the most weeks at No. 1, all with 14 weeks at the summit. Further, in addition to “Qlona,” with Peso Pluma (No. 5), Karol’s “Si Antes” became only the second song by a female artist to close in the top 10 on the year-end Hot Latin Songs chart in 2024, at No. 8.
The new Jan. 25, 2025-dated charts will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on Jan. 22 (one day later than usual, owed to the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday in the U.S. on Jan. 20). For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.
The show must go on! Carrie Underwood proved why she’s a country superstar during Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration on Monday (Jan. 20).
After an awkward two-minute technical glitch, the 41-year-old American Idol alum took control of the situation, singing “America the Beautiful” a cappella at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., just as Trump was being sworn in as the 47th president.
“You know the words, help me out here,” Underwood told the crowd before delivering the patriotic anthem solo.
An earlier program indicated Underwood was scheduled to perform with the Armed Forces Chorus and the United States Naval Academy Glee Club, with her performance originally slated just before Trump’s swearing-in.
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The country star’s fans quickly took notice of her professionalism and praised her stunning solo rendition on social media.
“Now that is a flex. Imagine being so talented that when technology fails, you just go, ‘Fine, I’ll do it live!’ and crush it a cappella in front of thousands,” one user on X observed. “Carrie Underwood doesn’t need auto-tune; auto-tune probably takes notes from her.”
Another wrote, “Carrie Underwood don’t need no band! That was bada–!”
“This is what a professional looks like,” a third commenter noted on X. “With grace, when the military band audio failed, she sang her song with the audience. All American and perfect.”
Before the event, Underwood shared a statement expressing her gratitude and pride: “I love our country and am honored to have been asked to sing at the Inauguration and to be a small part of this historic event. I am humbled to answer the call at a time when we must all come together in the spirit of unity and looking to the future.”
Underwood joined a roster of performers at the inauguration, including Lee Greenwood, the Village People, Nelly, Snoop Dogg, Rick Ross, Rascal Flatts, Kid Rock, Gavin DeGraw, Jason Aldean and Parker McCollum.
Carrie Underwood was among the performers during the presidential inauguration ceremony held for Donald Trump, which took place at the U.S. Capitol Rotunda on Monday (Jan. 20).
The country superstar’s performance took place after Trump took the oath of office as the 47th president of the United States and made his inauguration speech, beginning his second presidential term.
Technical difficulties delayed Underwood’s performance, causing the singer to stand for two minutes near the podium prior to her performance. An early program showed that Underwood had been slated to perform with the The Armed Forces Chorus and the United States Naval Academy Glee Club, and that she had initially been set to perform just prior to Trump’s swearing-in.
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Instead, Underwood — clad in a pale-colored dress — performed a rendition of “America the Beautiful” a cappella. “If you know the words help me out here,” the singer said before her performance, with the audience joining in to sing with her.
Prior to her performance, Underwood released a statement regarding her performance, saying, “I love our country and am honored to have been asked to sing at the Inauguration and to be a small part of this historic event. I am humbled to answer the call at a time when we must all come together in the spirit of unity and looking to the future.”
Underwood joins a slate of performers who are taking part in presidential inauguration events, including Lee Greenwood, the Village People, Nelly, Rascal Flatts, Kid Rock, Gavin DeGraw, Jason Aldean and Parker McCollum.
News of Underwood’s performance at Trump’s inauguration ceremony was met with both praise and criticism, with LGBTQ+ fans expressing anger and disappointment with the country singer’s decision to perform during the event. Underwood had previously spoken out in support of same-sex marriage in 2012, prior to same-sex marriage being legalized in 2015. Members of the LGBTQ+ community have expressed disapproval with the singer for performing at the event, given that Trump has campaigned for restrictions on trans and queer rights in the United States.
Underwood recently revealed the trailer for her upcoming concert special Carrie Underwood: Reflection, which spotlights her long-running Las Vegas residency. The concert special debuts Friday (Jan. 24), on Disney+ and Hulu. She is set to conclude her Las Vegas run on April 12. Her most recent country album, 2022’s Denim & Rhinestones, reached No. 2 on Billboard‘s Top Country Albums chart and became her 10th consecutive album to reach the top 10 on the all-genre Billboard 200.
See Underwood’s performance here.
Donald Trump showcased his signature dance moves during a high-energy pre-inauguration rally in Washington, D.C., on Sunday (Jan. 19).
The 78-year-old businessman-turned-politician, who was sworn in as the 47th U.S. president on Monday, celebrated his victory over Kamala Harris at D.C.’s Capital One Arena. The event featured performances by Kid Rock, Lee Greenwood and the Village People.
As the rally wrapped up, Trump danced and clapped along to the Village People’s 1978 hit “Y.M.C.A.,” a song frequently played at his campaign rallies. Smiling, he stood behind the group, delivering his trademark moves while the crowd cheered.
In the days leading up to the event, the Village People announced on Facebook that they had “accepted an invitation from President Elect Trump’s campaign to participate in inaugural activities, including at least one event with President Elect Trump.” The group added, “We know this wont make some of you happy to hear however we believe that music is to be performed without regard to politics. Our song Y.M.C.A. is a global anthem that hopefully helps bring the country together after a tumultuous and divided campaign where our preferred candidate lost.”
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Trump had previously featured the Village People’s “Macho Man” and “Y.M.C.A.” at his 2020 and 2024 rallies.
In December, Village People’s Victor Willis explained why he ultimately allowed Trump to continue playing “Y.M.C.A.” at rallies and events. Despite initially asking him to stop in 2020, Willis said he “didn’t have the heart” to block its use after realizing the politician “genuinely liked” the song and was “having a lot of fun” with it. Willis also noted that the track has seen a significant boost in chart positions and sales since Trump began using it during his campaign.
Sunday’s rally opened with a performance from Kid Rock, a longtime Trump supporter, before supporters like actor Jon Voight and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, among others, took the stage to offer congratulations.
“We won. We won,” Trump told the excited crowd. “I’m thrilled to be back with so many friends, supporters, and true American patriots on the eve of taking back our country. That’s what we’re going to do. Take back our country.”
He added, “Tomorrow at noon, the curtain closes on four long years of American decline, and we begin a brand-new day of American strength and prosperity, dignity and pride.”
A British teen pleaded guilty Monday (Jan. 20) to murdering three girls and attempting to kill 10 other people in what a prosecutor said was a “meticulously planned” stabbing rampage at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in England last summer.
Axel Rudakubana, 18, entered the surprise plea as jury selection had been expected to begin at the start of his trial in Liverpool Crown Court.
The July 29 stabbings sent shock waves across the U.K. and led to a week of widespread rioting across parts of England and Northern Ireland after the suspect was falsely identified as an asylum-seeker who had recently arrived in Britain by boat. He was born in Wales.
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The attack occurred on the first day of summer vacation when the little girls at the Hart Space, a sanctuary hidden behind a row of houses, were in a class to learn yoga and dance to the songs of Taylor Swift. What was supposed to be a day of joy turned to terror and heartbreak when Rudakubana, armed with a knife, intruded and began stabbing the girls and their teacher in the seaside town of Southport in northwest England.
“This was an unspeakable attack — one which left an enduring mark on our community and the nation for its savagery and senselessness,” Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor Ursula Doyle said. “A day which should have been one of carefree innocence; of children enjoying a dance workshop and making friendship bracelets, became a scene of the darkest horror as Axel Rudakubana carried out his meticulously planned rampage.”
Prosecutors haven’t said what they believe led Rudakubana — who was days shy of his 18th birthday — to commit the atrocities, but Doyle said that it was clear he had a “a sickening and sustained interest in death and violence.”
Rudakubana had consistently refused to speak in court and did so once again when asked to identify himself at the start of the proceedings. But he broke his silence when he was read the 16-count indictment and asked to enter a plea, replying “guilty” to each charge.
He pleaded guilty to three counts of murder, 10 counts of attempted murder and additional charges related to possessing the poison ricin and for having an al-Qaida manual.
Rudakubana faces life imprisonment when sentenced Thursday, Justice Julian Goose said.
Defense lawyer Stanley Reiz said that he would present information to the judge about Rudakubana’s mental health that may be relevant to his sentence.
The surviving victims and family members of those killed were absent in court, because they had expected to arrive Tuesday for opening statements.
Goose asked the prosecutor to apologize on his behalf that they weren’t present to hear Rudakubana plead guilty.
He pleaded guilty to murdering Alice Da Silva Aguiar, 9, Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, and Bebe King, 6.
Eight other girls, ranging in age from 7 to 13, were wounded, along with instructor Leanne Lucas and John Hayes, who worked in a business next door and intervened. Fifteen other girls, as young as 5, were at the class but uninjured. Under a court order, none of the surviving girls can be named.
Hayes, who was stabbed and seriously wounded, said he still had flashbacks to the attack and was “hugely upset at the time that I wasn’t able to do more.”
“But I did what I could in the circumstances,” he told Sky News. “I’m grateful to be here, and by all accounts I’ll make a full recovery, at least physically. … I’m going to be OK and others won’t be, and that’s really where I I think the focus of attention should be.”
Police said the stabbings weren’t classified as acts of terrorism because the motive wasn’t known.
Several months after his arrest at the scene of the crime, Rudakubana was charged with additional counts for production of a biological toxin, ricin and possession of information likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing to commit an act of terrorism for having the manual in a document on his computer.
Police said they found the evidence during a search of his family’s home in a neighboring village.
The day after the killings — and shortly after a peaceful vigil for the victims — a violent group attacked a mosque near the crime scene and pelted police officers with bricks and bottles and set fire to police vehicles.
Rioting then spread to dozens of other towns over the next week when groups made up mostly of men mobilized by far-right activists on social media clashed with police during violent protests and attacked hotels housing migrants.
More than 1,200 people were arrested for the disorder and hundreds have been jailed for up to nine years in prison.
Just weeks after Scorpions drummer Mikkey Dee detailed his near-death experience following a sepsis diagnosis, the band has made the decision to postpone their upcoming Las Vegas residency.
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The residency was originally slated to launch on Feb. 28 and run until March 11 as part of the German band’s 60th anniversary celebration. Performing at PH Live at Planet Hollywood and supported by Buckcherry, the group took to social media late last week to announce their new dates.
“We regret to inform you that due to Mikkey Dee’s ongoing recovery from his recent hospitalization, we have made the decision to postpone our Coming Home to Las Vegas Residency to August 2025,” they wrote. “The health and well-being of our brother is of the utmost importance. We wish Mikkey a full and speedy recovery and look forward to rocking with you all again soon!”
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The new dates will see the Scorpions performing in Las Vegas from Aug. 14 – 23, with all previous tickets honored for the new dates. The group are still scheduled to return to the stage in March, with a Mexico City show set for March 15.
Dee first detailed his health issues in early January, revealing he had been hospitalized following a “very serious” blood infection. He later expanded upon the health scare in an interview with Swedish publication Aftonbladet, explaining that what began as a simple sprain quickly evolved into something far worse on the weekend before Christmas.
“The ankle swelled up like hell, then it took on a weird shape and appearance and looked like an overcooked ham,” Dee said. “I became very ill so I had to go by ambulance to Sahlgrenska and there they found that I had sky-high values, so I became priority one there.
“It was surgery right away, the first of three. They cut away what was dead and infected and badly infested. It was not a good journey I was on… Another day and I’d be playing drums with Lemmy in heaven. I can say that.”
Somewhat coincidentally, his near-death experience took place almost nine years to the day since his Motörhead bandmate Lemmy Kilmister passed away, on Dec. 28, 2015.
Dee has performed with Scorpions since early 2016, joining the band in the wake of Motörhead’s untimely dissolution in late 2016. To date, Dee has only played on one of the band’s albums, providing percussion for their 19th album, 2022’s Rock Believer.
Matty Healy and Taylor Swift‘s musical story still has pages to come, according to a report by U.K. tabloid The Sun. The 1975‘s next album, possibly titled God Has Entered My Body and maybe with a track of the same name, has lyrics that an unnamed “insider” believes to be about the pair’s public romance in 2023.
Just one alleged line was published in the report Saturday night (Jan. 18): “Keep your head up, princess, your tiara is falling.”
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The Sun quotes its source as saying “everyone at the studio,” presumably during a 1975 recording session, thought “God Has Entered My Body” addresses Healy and Swift’s relationship and how it fared amid fame. The purported insider tells the publication, “Matty will never publicly comment on his relationships, but he lets his deepest feelings out in his songs and gets everything off his chest.”
Healy is not doing press at this time and is not currently active on social media, but he does have a verified account on Reddit from which he occasionally interacts with fans of The 1975.
In a discussion on The 1975 subreddit on Sunday showing an article that cites The Sun‘s initial report, Healy chimed in among the murmurs about his supposedly Swift-inspired song.
“Huge if true,” wrote Healy.
As fans point out, The 1975 frontman captioned an unarchived Instagram post from 2021 with “Keep your head up, princess, your tiara is falling.” It’s one of only four posts presently on his Instagram grid. Another studio snapshot from 2024 has the caption “GHEMB,” an acronym for “God Has Entered My Body” that Healy’s used before.
In November, Healy shared what looked to be a working track list in a now-deleted post on X (formerly Twitter). While he made a joke there (“This is my ‘names for our children’ folder”), in a Reddit thread he commented, “Nah it’s real tracklist.” Among the song titles listed were “Alone Together,” “Give Us Back Our Present,” “Commercials in a Hotel Room,” “EVERYTHINGAMAZINGNOBODYHAPPY,” “Pepsi-Cola Addict” and “Naked When You Found Her.” “God Has Entered My Body” was not on that particular list.
The 1975’s next full-length release will be their sixth studio album, and the follow-up to 2022’s Being Funny in a Foreign Language, which was co-produced by Jack Antonoff with Healy and bandmate George Daniel. Being Funny debuted in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 albums chart, at No. 7, and reached No. 2 on three others: Top Rock Albums, Top Alternative Albums and Independent Albums.
In 2024, Healy was featured on his friend (and George Daniel’s fiancée) Charli XCX‘s Brat companion album, Brat and It’s Completely Different But Also Still Brat, on the moving song “I Might Say Something Stupid.”
Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department album, for which Healy was an assumed muse, was released in 2024 and finished the year as the most popular album in the U.S., based on music data tracking from Luminate. It earned 6.955 million equivalent album units in 2024 in the U.S. and spent 17 nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
A longtime friend to Healy, Swift surprised fans at The 1975’s concert at the O2 Arena in London in January 2023 when she covered the band’s “The City” and debuted her Midnights single “Anti-Hero” live. They’d known each other since at least 2014, when Swift attended The 1975’s concerts in Los Angeles and New York.
Speculation that they were dating in 2023 came in early May that year. Healy was seen smiling and singing along to her hits from the VIP tent at several shows on The Eras Tour — and even unexpectedly took the Eras stage in a skeleton suit to play guitar with friend/opener Phoebe Bridgers.
Healy and Swift were spotted holding hands at a dinner and leaving the studio together in New York that month, which was as close to a “confirmation” of a relationship as they gave. In the middle of a rainstorm at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., on May 20, Swift shared with the crowd, “I’ve just never been this happy in my life, in all aspects of my life, ever, and I just want to thank you for being a part of that. It’s not just the tour. I just sort of feel like my life finally feels like it makes sense.” She then said, “So I thought I’d play this song which brings me a lot of happy memories,” and played Midnights track “Question…?” for the first time.
They reportedly split in June 2023.
Healy, who recently said he isn’t interested in making an album about “stuff that was said about me or my casual romantic liaisons,” is now engaged to model Gabbriette Bechtel. Swift is dating Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.