Music News

26 Nov 2024

Dwayne Johnson Says He Had to ‘Pull Strings’ to Get Taylor Swift Tickets: ‘It’s Never Happened in My Career’

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson may play the role of Maui in Moana 2, but even a Disney demigod had trouble getting tickets to Taylor Swift’s record-breaking Eras tour.

The actor told Entertainment Tonight that he had to “pull strings” for the first time to secure tickets.
“It’s never happened in my career,” he said, noting that a “good friend” reached out to him, asking if he could help out with the ticket process. “Usually, I don’t have to pull strings. Usually, I’ll just… I just make it happen.”

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He continued, “I’m never good at asking for that kind of stuff. I’m good at giving it. Hate asking for stuff. I don’t do it, but in this case, made a little call. Taylor made it happen.”

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Johnson is not the only one who had trouble snagging tickets to the Eras tour. In November 2022, a chaotic handling of ticket sales by Ticketmater led to more than 100,000 Swifties getting kicked out of the online queue during the bot attack, and even Swift spoke out blaming the company.

Swift is just a week and a half away from the final three shows of her Eras Tour, which will take place at the BC Palace in Vancouver, B.C., beginning Dec. 6. “The emotions have gotten pretty heightened for me and the rest of the team because it’s gotten extremely real for us: Our next city will be the last one of The Eras Tour, and the closing of the most extraordinary chapter of my life so far. See you ? , Vancouver. We can’t wait to give you all we’ve got for three more shows,” she wrote on Instagram, concluding with a smiling cry emoji.

26 Nov 2024

EDSea 2024: Best Moments, From the Boat to Bimini

EDSea set sail for its second voyage earlier this month, bringing a cruise ship full of ravers to the Electric Sea. The unforgettable Belize-bound experience is Insomniac’s spin on their successful Electric Daisy Carnival festival — which occurs annually in Las Vegas, NV and Miami, FL — but with a tropical twist. This year’s lineup was stacked with some of the most exciting names in dance music, from more established acts like Dillon Francis, Sara Landry and Subtronics to emerging acts including AYYBO, J. Worra and Levity.

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While the lineup of what felt like nonstop sets was exciting, what made the voyage special was the slate of experiences for fans to enjoy. From on-board activities to surprise sets, see what you missed below — and if you want to experience EDSea, tickets are available now for the festival’s third voyage on November 1-6, 2025 from Miami to Harvest Caye, Belize.

Fireworks shine behind the cruise ship at EDSea's Sail Away Party

Fireworks shine behind the cruise ship at EDSea’s Sail Away Party

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Sail Away Party & Fireworks
The grandeur of EDSea began in Miami with the Sail Away Party, featuring Chris Lorenzo on the kineticOCEAN stage. His electrifying set was paired with a massive fireworks show, starting the cruise with a bang (literally).

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Surprise B2B Female DJ Set
The only bond stronger than the one between ravers is the one between women in the scene, as proven by Sara Landry, Mary Droppinz, Jenna Shaw, Coco & Breezy, Lucille Croft, VNSSA and J. Worra. Watching the wide range of sonically diverse women play back-to-back was an empowering glimpse into the future of dance.

EDSea attendees and performers dressed to the theme

EDSea embraced a variety of themes, including Under the Electric Sea

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Theme Days (and Nights!)
EDSea attendees made the festival their runway as they served bold and creative looks inspired by the provided themes. From Neon Swim to Safari Sunrise, each themed day and night transformed the ship into a new experience of celebration and self-expression.

Surprise Sunrise in Bimini
The Bimini beach party was a day of sun, sand and celebration — a day that went on even longer than announced, with a surprise announcement that the party would extend until after sunrise. The magic of EDSea shone through as dawn broke with an unexpected set from Eli Brown, making the already unforgettable day even better.

Wreckno, Sara Landry, Coco & Breezy and Lucille Croft onstage during Wreckno's Catwalk Competition

Wreckno, Sara Landry, Coco & Breezy and Lucille Croft onstage during Wreckno’s Catwalk Competition

Marc Van Der Aa

On-Board Activities
Insomniac made boredom a complete impossibility thanks to a well-curated lineup of experiences from morning through the night. Some fan favorites included the EDSea Character Brunch, where costumed performers mingled with attendees; Wreckno’s Catwalk Competition, a fierce competition of self-expression with special guest judges Sara Landry, Coco & Breezy and Lucille Croft; and Slander’s Super Smash Bros Tournament, a high-energy showdown hosted by the duo themselves.

Having FOMO? Tickets are available now for the festival’s third voyage on November 1-6, 2025 from Miami to Harvest Caye, Belize.

26 Nov 2024

Jason Kelce Gives Thanks For Taylor Swift’s Generosity to Family: ‘She’s a Wonderful Person’

During this time of year, when people are thinking about being thankful for those special people in their lives, Jason Kelce has one person in particular who he is especially grateful for. During an appearance on The Rich Eisen Show on Monday (Nov. 25), the former Philadelphia Eagles center told the host that being swept into Taylor Swift‘s orbit over the past year has been a “whirlwind.”

Since his younger brother, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, began dating Swift last summer, Jason told Eisen that some people have been asking him for for tickets to her massive Eras Tour stadium shows, and he always gives the same answer. “Thankfully I don’t get a lot of people reaching out for Taylor Swift tickets… it is an immediate no. But, I don’t get a lot of that,” Jason Kelce said.

That said, Jason noted that Swift has been adamant that anyone who needs a pair of tix for the tour that is slated to wrap up next week with a final run of three gigs in in Vancouver at BC Place Stadium is totally welcome to be placed on her personal VIP list. “Taylor has said she will take care of anybody that I ask for,” he said. “She does say that, she’s great, but I still say no to everybody.”

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Jason — who is expecting his fourth child with wife Kylie Kelce — explained that he just doesn’t want to be that guy who imposes on the 34-year-old singer, or puts her in an awkward position. Why? Because, he said, “she’s been nothing but lovely to our family, she’s a wonderful person and I don’t want that to kind of be a dynamic.”

Eisen asked Kelce to clarify that Swift has given him a “clear path” to tickets that the former NFL star has shut down. “Yeah… where’s the line? Exactly, so I’m not even broaching the line,” he said. “I’m staying away from the line.”

Like his younger brother, Jason has attended a number of Eras Tour shows, including with Kylie in London in June, as well as with their two oldest daughters in Miami last month. In addition, Taylor has frequently been spotted hanging with the Kelce family in skyboxes during Travis’ Chiefs games over the past year.

Watch Jason Kelce talk Taylor tickets below.

26 Nov 2024

Watch the VCU Pep Band Perform Kendrick Lamar’s ‘TV Off’ at College Basketball Game

The Peppas impressively learned the composition in just two days.

Kendrick Lamar

Kendrick Lamar smiles alongside Jay Rock, center, in between filming for the the music video for “Not Like Us” at Nickerson Gardens on June 22, 2024 in Watts, Calif.

Michael Blackshire/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images

A few tracks from Kendrick Lamar’s GNX album have garnered momentum as early standouts, such as the Mustard-produced “TV Off.” Virginia Commonwealth University’s pep band didn’t waste any time learning how to play the track, and the Peppas band debuted the performance at the Rams’ basketball game in South Carolina on Sunday (Nov. 24).

A clip from the composition went viral as the band provided a symphony behind Kendrick’s vocals, which even included his fan-favorite “Mustard” shout-out. The Peppas members seemed to be loving it too, as a few of the members appeared to be thrilled with the result.

Perhaps the band’s new composition inspired the VCU Rams on the floor, as they throttled the University of Miami Hurricanes 77-70 on Sunday in a contest that went down at the College of Charleston’s TD Arena.

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Fans will have to see if the Peppas have any more Kendrick Lamar tracks to perform in the stash from GNX on Friday night (Nov. 29), when Elizabeth City State comes to town for a game.

“First pep band to play it two days after it was released,” the Peppas bragged in a comment on TikTok.

Fans gave them props for learning it so quickly. “Already having it composed is insane,” one person wrote. Another added: “That was fast! Pep band composition in two days is crazy!”

“TV Off” is expected to be one of the many GNX tracks invading next week’s Billboard Hot 100 courtesy of Kendrick Lamar. GNX serves as K. Dot’s sixth studio album, which arrived as a surprise release on Friday (Nov. 22)

Watch the VCU Peppas’ performance below.

26 Nov 2024

Damiano David Is iHeartMedia’s First ‘On the Verge’ Artist Across Three Formats  

Damiano David is iHeartMedia’s latest “On the Verge” artist with his new solo single, “Born With a Broken Heart.” In a first for iHeart, he will be featured across three formats, with all iHeartRadio CHR, Hot AC and Alt stations participating in the promotion.

Damiano, 25, is best-known as frontman for the Italian rock band Måneskin, whose striking cover version of the Four Seasons’ 1967 hit “Beggin’” reached No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2021. In September, he previewed his upcoming first solo album with “Silverlines,” which Labrinth produced. David wrote “Born With a Broken Heart” with Sarah Hudson and the track’s producers Jason Evigan and Mark Schick.

“It’s an honor to have ‘Born With a Broken Heart’ featured on so many radio stations across the country, and I’m so grateful to iHeart for all the continued support in promoting my new music and helping it reach new fans,” David said in a statement.

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“Part of Damiano’s brilliance is that he creates music that defies genres,” said Tom Poleman, chief programming officer for iHeartMedia. “When our iHeart programmers first heard ‘Born With a Broken Heart’ we knew it didn’t fit into just one format, so we decided to do something we’ve never done before; our first multiple format ‘On The Verge’ across three genres.”

“We are appreciative and inspired by iHeart’s commitment to rising star Damiano David through their ‘On the Verge’ program,” said David Massey, president and CEO, Arista Records. “Being chosen as the first across three formats speaks to his potential and our collective belief in him.”

 iHeartMedia’s “On the Verge” program helps build awareness for up-and-coming artists. Past “On the Verge” artists include Chappell Roan (“Good Luck, Babe!”) Teddy Swims (“Lose Control”), Benson Boone (“Beautiful Things”), Olivia Rodrigo (“Driver’s License”) and Doja Cat (“Say So”).

26 Nov 2024

Adele Celebrating End of Las Vegas Residency With Limited-Edition Live Vinyl Box Set Featuring Confetti From Show

Adele is celebrating the end of her two-year Las Vegas residency with some commemorative keepsakes. The singer announced in an Instagram post on Tuesday (Nov. 26) that she is offering fans who made it to the Weekends With Adele extravaganza — as well as those who didn’t — a live album with a special bit of fairy dust from the series.

“To commemorate the ending of my residency in Las Vegas, I’m making a limited edition vinyl box set featuring the entire live setlist, a photo book, and even confetti from the show,” the singer wrote alongside an animation showing off the colorful box that features a grand piano on the front and opens up to reveal some spectacular photos of the show, as well as a full-color 56-page book and three 180g LPs.

The $349 box recorded during the 100-show residency at the Colosseum in Caesars Palace features two hours of music across 21 tracks, including such beloved hits as “Hello,” “Easy On Me,” “Rumor Has It,” “Skyfall,” “Set Fire to the Rain,” “Someone Like You” and “Rolling in the Deep,” among others; the estimated shipping date for the box is February 2025.

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And that’s not all. The singer is also selling some holiday-appropriate merch that includes a new card game called, naturally, “Love Is a Game,” that comes in a handsome burgundy box. The “conversation cards” inside include such topics as “Let’s Begin,” “When We Were Young” and “Who Am Eye?” with question including “Who do you love fighting with?” and “A time when you were wrong about yourself.”

Her web store is also stocked with a $15 Adele ceramic Christmas tree ornament featuring a vintage-looking pic of the singer in profile and a drawstring pouch, as well as an $85 green crewneck sweatshirt with a bedazzled “A” logo on the front, matching $80 green holiday sweatpants and a $90 black Adele hoodie.

Earlier in the day the singer reminisced about her “adventure” in Las Vegas during the run of twice-a-weekend shows that kicked off in November 2022 and wound down on Saturday. “Las Vegas you’ve been so good to me,” she wrote. “This residency went on to mirror what 30 was about – lost and broken to healed and thriving! Seems so fitting in the end.”

Adele has not said what she will do next, but the singer who typically takes extended breaks between albums has previously hinted at plans to temporarily step away from music, saying she’s prepared to take a “big break after this.”

Check out Adele’s preview of the box set and her holiday gear below.

26 Nov 2024

Cynthia Erivo Hopes Her Elphaba Serves As a ‘Love Letter to Everyone Who Feels Different’

As audiences continue holding space for the lyrics of “Defying Gravity,” Wicked star Cynthia Erivo is making sure that they understand the intention of her green-skinned heroine.

On Tuesday (Nov. 26), Erivo spoke with Variety about the creation of her version of the iconic character, saying that she wanted her Elphaba to be intrinsically similar to the actress underneath the makeup and wigs. “I didn’t want to remove myself from Elphaba,” she said. “I wanted to connect the two.”

Part of that connection came in the designing of the character’s new hair, which Erivo says was very much the point — where the stage version of the show typically portrays Elphaba with long, wavy black hair, Erivo’s Elphaba sports off-black microbraids, which the actress wanted as a nod to “what was underneath the green as well.”

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When asked about what it meant for her to have the most-viewed interpretation of this character being played by a Black queer woman, Erivo called it “awesome” and said that she felt she had been “given this incredible gift” when it comes to the character. “[Her] raison d’etre is to show that all of your difference is what makes you special,” she said. “You can soar above anyone’s expectations, that you can be everything you’re meant to be, and that the search to finding that can be hard, but when it happens, it can be really freeing.”

She added that she wanted to dedicate the character to anyone who has felt ostracized by the world. “I hope it’s a bit of a love letter to everyone who feels different, who feels out of place, to all of the Black women who have walked into rooms and felt like they haven’t been welcomed,” she said. “To anyone who’s walked into a room and felt like they haven’t been welcomed. I am really glad to be the conduit through which this character has been brought to the world.”

Watch clips from Erivo’s interview with Variety below:

@varietymagazine

Cynthia Erivo on designing Elphaba’s look for Wicked: “One of the first things I asked about was her hair. I didn’t want to remove myself from Elphaba, I wanted to connect the two, and so the braids became a way to nod to what was underneath the green as well.”

♬ original sound – Variety – Variety

@varietymagazine

Cynthia Erivo on being one of only two Black women to play Elphaba in a major production: “I feel that I’ve been given this incredible gift of a character…I’m really glad to be the conduit to which this character has been brought to the world.”

♬ original sound – Variety – Variety

26 Nov 2024

Here’s How Fans Are Reacting to Drake’s Claims That UMG & Spotify Schemed to Inflate ‘Not Like Us’

Drake shocked the music industryon Monday (Nov. 25) when he accused his label, Univeral Music Group, and Spotify in a court filing of artificially inflating the popularity of Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us.”

Drake’s Frozen Moments LLC alleges in the filing that the two parties conducted an “illegal scheme” that involved paid bots and other methods to “pump up” Lamar’s track that viciously disses him and accuses him of pedophilia, among other claims. UMG has denied the allegations, calling them “offensive and untrue” in a statement to Billboard. (Spotify declined to comment.)

The legal procedure — and the second action against UMG that Drake filed Tuesday (Nov. 26) — essentially reignited the flame for the Kendrick and Drake beef, as fans continued to bicker back and forth on social media over his legal maneuvers. “Drake Stan’s acting like Drake suing in order to fight the good fight against capitalism is soooooo funny bro LMFAOOOOOOO,” one person tweeted.

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7PM in Brooklyn co-host Kazeem Famuyide took a different approach while examining the industry as a whole. “Kendrick: F the whole industry. Drake: F the whole industry. Cole: F the whole industry. Fans: actually, I’m on the industry’s side here,” he added.

No Jumper‘s Adam22 agreed this could have major implications on the music industry. “Anyone acting like Drake is just a bad loser hasn’t read this s–t yet,” he tweeted. “If half of this gets proven, Drake will look like a hero for exposing the corrupt music industry.”

Former NFL star Arian Foster took a different approach and jokingly compared Drake’s legal action to this being his version of the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection.

“One thing that’s funny to me about Drake suing his label is I’ve never seen so many fans be on the label’s side before lmao,” another fan chimed in. “This the first time where the artist isn’t automatically right to the public.”

In its statement to Billboard, UMG noted: “We employ the highest ethical practices in our marketing and promotional campaigns. No amount of contrived and absurd legal arguments in this pre-action submission can mask the fact that fans choose the music they want to hear.”

Kendrick’s “Not Like Us” proved to be the knockout blow in his feud with Drake, and has remained a cultural staple as one of the biggest songs of the year. The Mustard-produced diss track topped the Billboard Hot 100 for a pair of weeks and hasn’t departed from the top 20 since its arrival in May.

Find more fan reactions to Drake’s legal actions below.

26 Nov 2024

Taylor Swift Praises Gracie Abrams’ ‘Most Amazing Performances’ on Eras Tour

Taylor Swift is singing the praises of Eras Tour opener Gracie Abrams. In a post reflecting on her six-show run in Toronto, the pop superstar gushed about how fans in Canada’s biggest city treated the concerts like they were a “hometown show” before turning her attention to the “That’s So True” singer, who has opened for her in the North American leg of the tour running October through early December.

“I got to play a mashup of the Grammy nominated song ‘us’ with @gracieabrams, mashed up with ‘Out of the Woods’ and I just adore her,” Swift captioned her Instagram carousel on Tuesday (Nov. 26), which included a photo of the two taking the stage together, as well as another of them hugging. “She’s been giving the most amazing performances every night on this tour!!” The two women penned Abrams’ “Us” alongside Aaron Dessner, and the track is up for the best pop duo/group performance at the 2025 Grammys.

Swift then looked ahead to the final three shows of her Eras Tour, which will take place in Vancouver, B.C., beginning Dec. 6. “The emotions have gotten pretty heightened for me and the rest of the team because it’s gotten extremely real for us: Our next city will be the last one of The Eras Tour, and the closing of the most extraordinary chapter of my life so far. See you ? , Vancouver. We can’t wait to give you all we’ve got for three more shows,” she wrote, concluding with a smiling cry emoji.

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Two days earlier, Abrams also expressed her gratitude toward the Swifties who attended the Toronto shows. “I will never ever forget those six shows. You were so loud and so generous and so kind,” she wrote in an Instagram post on Sunday (Nov. 24). “Thank you for hanging out with us while we waited for @taylorswift who brought me to tears every single night the past two weekends…… Cassandra x mad woman x I did something bad forever good night.”

The Eras Tour ends Dec. 8 at the BC Palace in Vancouver, B.C.

26 Nov 2024

Machine Gun Kelly Gushes About Megan Fox’s Pregnancy: ‘I’m About to Be a Dad Again!’

Machine Gun Kelly is excited to be a dad again. Two weeks after his on-and-off fianceé Megan Fox announced that she’s pregnant with her first child with the rapper-turned-rocker-turned-country-singer, MGK confirmed the news in an X post about his next music phase.

“isolating myself in the desert next week to restart this album from scratch. when inspiration flows through me unblocked, we will reach the destination in no time,” Kels wrote about his unnamed next LP. He then added, “don’t worry. after all, im about to be a dad again!”

Fox’s earlier post came almost exactly a year after she opened up about suffering a miscarriage in her first attempt to start a family with Kelly. Her goth-tinged post found the actress posing naked, covered in black liquid from head-to-toe while cradling her baby bump, as well as a black-and-white pic of her positive pregnancy test.

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“nothing is ever really lost. welcome back ??❤️,” Fox, 38, captioned the photos, tagging MGK, 34, whose name hovers right over her belly when the image is tapped. Both Fox and Kelly are parents to children from previous relationship, with Fox sharing three sons with ex-husband actor Brian Austin Green and Kelly father to a daughter with his ex Emma Cannon.

MGK released his sixth studio album, the rock-edged Mainstream Sellout, in 2022, followed by the collab EP Genre: Sadboy with Trippie Redd in March of this year. In another musical pivot, he scored a No. 33 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 earlier this year via Jelly Roll country collab “Lonely Road,” which appeared on the latter’s Beautifully Broken album. At press time no additional information was available on the release date or title of MGK’s next LP.

See MGK’s post below.