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When Chappell Roan shared the list of celebrities who’d reached out in support after she asked fans to respect her boundaries, Miley Cyrus‘ name appeared. Now, the “Flowers” singer is vocalizing her support for everyone else.
In a new cover story with Harper’s Bazaar, Cyrus spoke about Roan’s rise and the wave of online criticism that has come with it, saying that she sympathized with the “Good Luck, Babe” singer’s situation. “I wish people would not give her a hard time,” she said.
She explained that the star’s rise hasn’t been helped by social media, and explained her reticence toward being active online in 2024. “It’s probably really hard coming into this business with phones and Instagram. That wasn’t always a part of my life, and I’m not a part of it now,” she said. “I don’t even have my Instagram password.”
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Roan herself has personally pointed to Cyrus as an inspiration for her solo career. Back in August, when Cyrus was honored at the Disney Legends Ceremony, Roan shared a video for the award thanking Cyrus for the work she did paving the way for artists such as her. “She constantly reinvents herself and always works,” Roan said. “She could do whatever she wants, which is something I want to do. Miley does anything and it works. Miley feels like freedom to me.”
Elsewhere in her interview, Cyrus also chatted about her song “Used to Be Young,” saying that with the benefit of hindsight, both she and her godmother Dolly Parton don’t know if she needed to put it out. “It was one of those things that maybe now that I’m a bit more private, I would’ve kept private, but I’m happy to have shared it. It just feels like a song that’s so personal that it’s hard for people to relate,” she explained. “[Dolly] goes, ‘I don’t know if I like that new ‘Used to Be Young’ song because it’s not fair that you’re singing about not being young when you’re young and beautiful. And here I am — I’m like 80 — and I’m like, that should have been my song!’”
Cyrus added that she still looks to Parton for inspiration today, especially when it comes to separating the personal from the professional. “She lets everyone in and no one in at the same time,” she said. “Everyone feels like they know her, but they’re also OK with the fact that they don’t see her without makeup, without the full drag.”
As Miley Cyrus lays down the bricks on her next album, one iconic LP has stuck out to her as a source of inspiration: Pink Floyd‘s The Wall. In her Harper’s Bazaar cover story published Wednesday (Nov. 20), the 31-year-old pop star opened up about her forthcoming ninth studio album — tentatively titled Something Beautiful […]
Shakira is doing a good deed. The superstar has announced that she will be giving away her personal car, a 2022 Lamborghini Urus, to one lucky winner. The contest — in partnership with Univision and in support of her latest single “Soltera” — was launched on Shakira’s Instagram on Wednesday (Nov. 20). “A promise is […]
The Seoul Regional Office of Employment and Labor announced on Wednesday (Nov. 20) that it has closed its investigation into a case alleging harassment against NewJeans member HANNI after determining that the singer cannot be considered an employee under the law.
According to a statement from the Labor office, “It is difficult to consider HANNI a worker under the Labor Standards Act, so the case was administratively closed.” HANNI, 20, (born Phạm Ngọc Hân), made her debut as a member of the first girl group signed to the HYBE label ADOR in 2022; ADOR is a sub-label of HYBE, whose other labels support such acts as BTS, SEVENTEEN and Le SSERAFIM, among others.
After the Vietnamese-Australian singer claimed during a YouTube livestream in September that a manager of another K-pop group under the HYBE umbrella (ILLIT) instructed their artists to “ignore” her inside the HYBE HQ in Seoul, HANNI’s fans filed a complaint with the Ministry of Employment and Labor as well as one with a civil rights organization.
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HANNI gave tearful testimony about the alleged incident last month, telling the National Assembly’s Environment and Labor Committee, “We have a floor in our building where we do hair and makeup and, at that time, I was waiting in the hallway because my hair and makeup was done first… I said hello to all of them, and then they came back about five or 10 minutes later. On her way out, [the manager] made eye contact with me, turned to the rest of the group, and said, ‘Ignore her like you didn’t see her.’ I don’t understand why she would say something like that in the work environment.”
In a stunning moment during that testimony, HANNI said the various alleged incidents of disrespect made her realize that, “this wasn’t just a feeling. I was honestly convinced that the company hated us.”
She added that these were not isolated incidents and that she often felt undermined and ignored by her company’s management team, which left her and her bandmates feeling disrespected. “We are all human. I think a lot of people are forgetting that,” she said during her testimony. “I understand that the contracts for artists and trainees may be different [from that of regular workers], but we are all human.”
The statement from the Labor office dismissing the investigation continued, “Given the content and nature of the management contract HANNI signed, it is difficult to regard her as a worker under the Labor Standards Act, which involves working in a subordinate relationship for wages.” The reasoning for the ruling noted that the relationship between HANNI and ADOR was one in which, “each party fulfills their contractual obligations as equal contracting parties, making it difficult to consider there was supervision or direction from the company.”
In addition, the ruling noted that, “Company rules, regulations, and systems that apply to regular employees were not applied to her (as an artist)… both the company and HANNI shared the costs necessary for entertainment activities. Both parties bear their own taxes, and she pays business income tax, not employment income tax,” and “HANNI bears the risks associated with generating profits and potential losses from entertainment activities.”
Sesame Street‘s Oscar the Grouch Wicked‘s Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) can relate to each other when it comes to being green — so why not sing about it together? Just ahead of the opening weekend of Wicked in theaters, Erivo paid a visit to Oscar the Grouch for a duet of a classic, “It’s Not Easy Bein’ Green,” originated by Kermit the Frog on both Sesame Street and The Muppet Show in 1970.
Their collaboration was unveiled on Sesame Street‘s official YouTube channel Wednesday morning (Nov. 20). Elphaba in Wicked is famously green, just like Oscar, though Erivo appears as herself in this performance of the oft-covered, Joe Raposo-penned song. Among the many covers of “Bein’ Green” that have been recorded over the years are versions by Frank Sinatra (1971), Van Morrison (1973), Diana Ross (1974), Ray Charles (1975), Don Henley (1994) and Tony Bennett (1998).
In this version, Oscar — who seems to just want to fit in with the neighborhood trash cans he frequents — sings, “It’s not easy bein’ green/ Having to spend each day the color of the leaves/ When I think it could be nicer being gray or rust or puce/ Or something much less colorful like that.”
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“Hold on,” Erivo interrupts, cleverly pointing out, “Now, I know a thing or two about being green … And you should like — well, no, love — being green, Oscar.”
“Really? You’re talking to a grouch here,” Oscar says in the video.The actress responds with a reminder to be proud of who you are, and then lends her gorgeous voice to the next verse, making all things green sound simply sublime: “Because green is the color of slime/ And green can be gross and moldy-like/ And green can be smelly like a stinkweed, or angry like an alligator, or sour like a pickle.”
Their voices come together as Erivo harmonizes with the green monster of Sesame Street, singing, “When green is all there is to be/ It could make you wonder why/ But why wonder, why wonder?”
“I am green and it’ll do fine/ It’s yucky, and I think it’s what I want to be,” Oscar decides.
But don’t worry. He snaps out of that sweet moment just in time to tell the movie star to “Scram!”
“Never change, Oscar,” says Erivo.
Watch their “It’s Not Easy Bein’ Green” duet below. Wicked officially opens Nov. 22, with early screenings in select theaters on Nov. 20.
Perhaps making the wait for a parking spot at the mall during the holidays not seem so long by comparison, Dean Martin’s “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” enters Billboard’s Adult Contemporary survey — nearly 72 years after the legendary entertainer recorded it.
The carol debuts on the ranking (dated Nov. 23) at No. 30.
The song was released at last on Oct. 14. Per a press release, it is Martin’s earliest known holiday recording, and his only recorded version of the classic carol, which Meredith Willson wrote in 1951. The performance is from a radio broadcast on Dec. 16, 1952, as part of NBC’s The Martin and Lewis Show that starred Martin and Jerry Lewis. (Their guest that week: Ginger Rogers.)
A new animated video for Martin’s “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” premiered Nov. 14.
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Martin, who died on Christmas Day in 1995 at age 78, extends his span of hits on the Adult Contemporary chart (which began in the July 17, 1961, Billboard issue) to 60 years, four months and three weeks, dating to his iconic “Everybody Loves Somebody” in 1964. The song became his first of five No. 1s on the chart that he notched through 1968.
Only Nat King Cole narrowly boasts a longer span of Adult Contemporary entries: 60 years, five months and two weeks, from 1961 through 2022, when a new version of the revered late singer’s signature holiday hit “The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire),” with John Legend, reached No. 29.
Last holiday season, Martin also added to his chart history when “Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow” rose to a new No. 7 high on the all-genre, multimetric Billboard Hot 100. The song, from 1959, first hit the top 10 over the 2020-21 holidays, becoming his fourth song to reach the tier. “The King of Cool” posted his first three top 10s in 1964-65: “Everybody Loves Somebody” (No. 1, one week), “The Door Is Still Open to My Heart” (No. 6) and “I Will” (No. 10).
To date, two versions of “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” have hit the Hot 100, by Perry Como and the Fontane Sisters with Mitchell Ayres and His Orchestra (No. 12, 2020) and Michael Bublé (No. 19, 2023). The recordings have also both reached No. 8 on Billboard’s Holiday 100 chart, where, additionally, Johnny Mathis’ version has jingled to No. 15 and Bing Crosby’s, with Jud Conlon’s Rhythmaires and John Scott Trotter and His Orchestra, has dashed to No. 18.
Conference championship weekend is inching closer, and the Big 12 has tapped Ne-Yo to headline the halftime show of their conference title game in Arlington, Texas on Dec. 7.
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It’s all going down inside Jerry’s World at AT&T Stadium the home of the Dallas Cowboys. Kickoff is slated for noon pm ET where the one and two seeds will face off for the right to call themselves Big 12 Conference champions.
From “So Sick” to “Closer” and “Miss Independent,” the R&B hitmaker will be bringing his array of classics within his decorated catalog to the 80,000-capacity stadium. The marching bands from both participating universities will also be incorporated into the performance.
“I’m honored to be named the halftime performer for this year’s Big 12 Football Championship for a special celebration of music, sports and entertainment,” Ne-Yo said in a statement. “The atmosphere is going to be electric, and I can’t wait for everyone to watch how we integrate the marching bands into the performance for an unforgettable show.”
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BYU and the University of Colorado are on a collision course to match up in the contest if both run the table for the rest of the regular season. Colorado fans and many football fanatics across the country are hoping to see Coach Prime aka Deion Sanders and the Buffs led by his son Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter take the field come Dec. 7.
“We are thrilled to welcome Ne-Yo as the 2024 Football Championship halftime performer,” Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark added. “The Big 12 continues to infuse culture and entertainment into our league’s biggest moments, balancing it with the traditions that make college athletics so special. With both school bands joining the performance, the annual halftime show will continue to blend the old with the new.”
A College Football Playoff birth will likely be on the line so the stakes can’t be higher with the new 12-team playoff format going into effect this season.
It’s been a busy year for Ne-Yo without an album being released. He made his long overdue Tiny Desk concert debut and became a fully independent artist under his Compound Entertainment imprint as the singer started his journey without the backing of a major label (formerly Def Jam, Motown).
The 45-year-old even headed home to Sin City to perform a handful of shows as part of his Human Rebellion Residency at the Encore Theater in August.
Catch the Big 12 Championship as well as Ne-Yo’s performance on ABC when the action kicks off on Dec. 7.
Liam Payne’s funeral took place on Wednesday (Nov. 20) in south-east England, just over a month after his death (Oct. 16). The One Direction star died at age 31 following a fall from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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The private funeral for family and friends only took place in Amersham, Buckinghamshire with his 1D bandmates – Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik and Niall Horan – all in attendance. The X Factor‘s Simon Cowell, TV presenter James Corden and Kate Cassidy, Payne’s partner at the time of his attendance, were also part of the congregation.
An autopsy for Payne confirmed that he suffered internal and external bleeding and multiple traumatic injuries from his fall. His body was flown back to the U.K. earlier this month in preparation for the funeral. The singer’s body had previously been held by local authorities in order to complete toxicology and other lab tests to determine his cause of death.
Upon his passing, his family released a short statement, saying that “We are heartbroken. Liam will forever live in our hearts and we’ll remember him for his kind, funny and brave soul.” His One Direction bandmates shared a joint statement following Payne’s passing, saying that they were “completely devastated by the news of Liam’s passing.”
“In time, and when everyone is able to, there will be more to say,” their message continued. “But for now, we will take some time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, who we loved dearly. The memories we shared with him will be treasured forever.”
Earlier this month, three people were detained in connection to Payne’s fall, with Argentine police alleging that Payne was supplied drugs prior to his death. According to a translated copy of the toxicology report, in the days leading up to his death, Payne reportedly had “alcohol, cocaine and prescription antidepressants” in his system. The investigation into his death is ongoing.
One Direction formed on TV show The X Factor in 2010, and released five studio albums before the band went on an indefinite hiatus in 2016 to pursue solo projects. Payne released one studio album before his passing, 2019’s LP1, and was said to be readying a second prior to his passing.
Payne is survived by his parents, two sisters and his son with Girls Aloud singer Cheryl, Bear, who was born in 2017.
Jekalyn Carr’s “You Carried Me,” featuring Tasha Cobbs Leonard and Blanca, ascends a spot to No. 1 on Billboard’s Gospel Airplay chart dated Nov. 30. During the Nov. 8-14 tracking week, the single increased by 10% in plays, according to Luminate. For Carr, the song, which she solely authored, marks her eighth leader on the […]
The Oasis reunion rolls on. Following the recent roll-out of tour dates being across the U.K. and Ireland, North America, South America and Australia, there is now hope on the horizon for Britpop fans in Asia.
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On Tuesday night (Nov. 19), the band’s official Instagram account shared images of billboards that have popped up in Tokyo, Japan and Seoul, South Korea, which appear to be teasing a major announcement on Friday (Nov. 22). Check out images of the billboards below.
Featuring a black and white photo brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher, the electronic messages replicate the campaign that has been used in recent months to announce shows in other regions across the globe. Oasis last performed in Japan and South Korea in spring 2009, including gigs in Nagoya and Osaka, as well as a night at Seoul’s Olympic Gymnastics Arena. The shows will likely take place around the band’s forthcoming Australia dates, which are slated for November 2025.
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The Oasis Live ‘25 tour has 38 shows booked so far, and will commence on July 4 at Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales. The band is slated to tour through fall 2025, with the run currently slated to wrap up with Nov. 22-23 stops at Estádio Morum BIS in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
The band have not released any material since 2008’s Dig Out Your Soul. At present, Oasis have not officially confirmed that a new record is coming, or revealed a release date for what would be their eighth studio LP. In September, Liam replied to a fan’s question about whether there will be fresh music, responding “Yep it’s already finished,” without offering any additional details. Earlier this week (Nov. 16), however, Liam revoked these claims, telling fans “it was a laugh.”
Oasis endured a hostile split in 2009, after years of headlines related to the Gallagher siblings’ fierce rivalry. Principal songwriter, guitarist and occasional lead singer Noel quit the band after a backstage fight with vocalist Liam at a show in Paris that year. The brothers, now 57 and 51, haven’t performed live together since then, though they have continued to play Oasis songs during their solo gigs and with their side projects.
All the shows announced so far on the Oasis Live ‘25 tour have sold out. Cast and The Verve’s Richard Ashcroft will open in the U.K. and Ireland, and Cage the Elephant will support the reformed band for the North American leg. Special guests for the rest of the dates are yet to be revealed.
