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Fashion-forward singer Tyla dropped into the Jennifer Hudson Show on Tuesday (Feb. 18) to give a sneak peek at her new British Vogue cover and tease her anticipated look at the upcoming Met Gala. She also talked about performing at last year’s Victoria’s Secret fashion show and performing with her musical mirror, Sabrina Carpenter.
“She’s literally like me, like we don’t take things too serious, so it was a lot of laughing,” Tyla said of appearing on Carpenter’s first-ever holiday special in December, during which the two women collaborated on a rendition of “This Christmas.”
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“It was really fun doing that and being… because I haven’t done a duet like that with another artist,” Tyla said. “Yeah, it was cute.” Now that she’s got Carpenter ticked off her bucket list, Hudson asked if there is anyone else Tyla dreams of teaming up with. “Like a dream song, just passion, like not serious, I would want to do something with… an older artist,” she said. “Like Brian McKnight… or a Babyface, something like old R&B.”
Tyla also responded to silly internet rumors that she “stole” some wings at the VS runway special, telling Hudson that at one point someone told her she could go into the “wing room” and “pick any wing” she wanted. “So I was having the time of my life, trying on all the wings,” Tyla laughed, as the image of the white feather version she chose flashed on the screen behind her; at the time, she captioned a stunning pic from the special with the words, “Earned my wings” in the post that got a heart emoji from Carpenter.
“‘That’s mine!’” she remembered thinking when she saw them at the show where she walked alongside Angels Gigi Hadid, Tyra Banks and Adriana Lima, at the event that also featured a performance from BLACKPINK’s LISA.
And, not that she’s looking to take all the gigs, but asked if she’s interested in moving into acting, Tyla said she’d love to “do something more creative” with a fellow envelope-pushing musician, such as Frank Ocean, Childish Gambino or Tyler, the Creator. “Something more creative… but dream role? I want to be a princess,” she said with a smile. “Like an African princess. I think that would be cute.”
After making the scene at her first Met Gala last year, last week it was announced that Tyla will be part of the 2025 Met Gala Host Committee team alongside André 3000, Simone Biles, Dapper Dan, Doechii, Ayo Edebiri, Regina King, Spike Lee, Janelle Monae and Sha’Carri Richardson, among others. Though she’s not sure what her outfit will be yet, Tyla promised that it “will be hot… you know that,” without revealing any additional details.
In her new British Vogue cover, the 23-year-old South African native charted her quick rise to fame and gave a hint of what musical direction she is headed in after the worldwide breakthrough of “Water,” the debut single from her self-titled first album that topped out at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100.
“I really feel like I have changed so much since ‘Water’ and my debut album. I have grown into a different version of myself. A little more spicy, a little more bold. I’m excited to just put that into the music,” she told the magazine. And while her global acclaim could easily lead to product extensions into a beauty or booze line like other pop stars, Tyla said she’s focused on her main gig.
“Music is my first love,” she said, while keeping her options open. “Maybe one day I’ll want to dabble in acting, beauty, creative directing, fashion… I really have a love for it all and I know I can do it all.”
Tyla will appear alongside aespa, Erykah Badu, GloRilla, Angela Aguilar, Gracie Abrams, Jennie, Megan Moroney, Meghan Trainor and Muni Long at March 29th’s 2025 Billboard Women in Music event.
Check out Tyla on the Jennifer Hudson Show below.
The CoComelon: Sing-A-Long Live Tour, a fresh production featuring the characters of CoComelon that made its debut in South Africa in late 2024, will make its way across North America beginning in spring 2025, Round Room Live and Moonbug Entertainment announced on Tuesday (Feb. 18).
Tickets for the just-revealed CoComelon tour dates are available via presale starting today, with a general on-sale scheduled for Friday, Feb. 21. Visit the tour’s website, cocomelonontour.com, for date-specific ticket information.
The cast and crew will kick off CoComelon’s musical journey in the U.S. and Canada with an April 24 opening date in Roanoke, Virginia, and by June 29 will end up in Louisville, Kentucky. Along the way, the CoComelon: Sing-A-Long Live Tour will visit a long list of markets, including Atlanta, Providence, Boston, Nashville and more. (See all the tour dates below.)
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CoComelon is a familiar name to many young ones who tune in to children’s programming on YouTube, where the CoComelon channel has 190 million subscribers, and Netflix, which has the original series CoComelon Lane. Spin-off series CoComelon Classroom debuted on YouTube in fall 2024.
Wondering what to expect from the live, kid-friendly production when it arrives in your city? “CoComelon’s favorite teacher Ms. Appleberry welcomes JJ, his friends and you to come along on a Melon Patch Musical field trip! In CoComelon: Sing-A-Long LIVE, dance and sing along with JJ, Nina, Cody, Cece and all of their friends to some of your favorite bops, including ‘If You’re Happy and You Know It,’ ‘Wheels on the Bus,’ ‘Animal Dance,’ ‘Head Shoulders Knees and Toes,’ ‘Freeze Dance,’ and many more,” reads a show description released on Tuesday.
The live production is the latest family entertainment tour to be produced by Round Room Live, the company behind recent live stage shows for children like Sesame Street Live! Say Hello and the Blippi: Join the Band Tour.
“We are thrilled to embark on the North American tour of CoComelon: Sing-A-Long LIVE, bringing this beloved brand to audiences across the U.S. and Canada,” says Stephen Shaw, founder and co-president of Round Room Live. “This tour continues our valued partnership with Moonbug Entertainment and will delight families worldwide by bringing Moonbug’s engaging content to life. As the leading producer of family entertainment, we are proud to create interactive and memorable experiences that families can cherish forever.”
Susan Vargo, head of experiences at Moonbug Entertainment, adds: “Singing and dancing along to CoComelon tunes is a huge part of why families love to watch CoComelon together. It’s exciting to bring this experience to life in a joyful event families won’t want to miss. After its success around the world, we’re delighted to share this experience with families in the U.S. and Canada.”
Here are the current dates for the CoComelon: Sing-A-Long Live Tour:
Thursday, Apr. 24 – Berglund Center – Berglund Performing Arts Theatre – Roanoke, VAFriday, Apr. 25 – Weldon Mills Theatre – Roanoke Rapids, NCSaturday, Apr. 26 – Bon Secours Wellness Arena – Greenville, SCSunday, Apr. 27 – Fox Theatre – Atlanta, GATuesday, Apr. 29 – State Farm Center – Champaign, ILWednesday, Apr. 30 – Oshkosh Arena – Oshkosh, WIThursday, May 1 – The Sonnentag – Eau Claire, WIFriday, May 2 – Sanford Center – Bemidji, MNSaturday, May 3 – State Theatre – Minneapolis, MNSunday, May 4 – Rialto Square Theatre – Joliet, ILThursday, May 8 – Dort Financial Center – Flint, MISaturday, May 10 – Adirondack Bank Center – Utica, NYWednesday, May 14 – Stranahan Theater & Great Hall – Toledo, OHFriday, May 16 – Hanover Theatre & Conservatory – Worcester, MASaturday, May 17 – Providence Performing Arts Center – Providence, RISunday, May 18 – Artpark – Lewiston, NYTuesday, May 20 – Charleston Coliseum – Charleston, WVWednesday, May 21 – Tennessee Theatre – Knoxville, TNWednesday, May 28 – Cross Insurance Center – Bangor, METhursday, May 29 – Merrill Auditorium – Portland, MEFriday, May 30 – Palace Theater – Albany, NYSaturday, May 31 – Toyota Oakdale Theater – Wallingford, CTSunday, Jun. 1 – Santander Performing Arts Center – Reading, PAWednesday, Jun. 4 – The F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts – Wilkes-Barre, PAThursday, Jun. 5 – Keswick Theatre – Glenside, PAFriday, Jun. 6 – Tilles Center for the Performing Arts – Brookville, NYSaturday, Jun. 7 – Emerson Colonial Theatre – Boston, MASunday, Jun. 8 – Bergen Performing Arts Center – Englewood, NJTuesday, Jun. 10 – Township Auditorium – Columbia, SCWednesday, Jun. 11 – Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts – Greensboro, NCThursday, Jun. 12 – Wicomico Civic Center – Salisbury, MDFriday, Jun. 13 – Chartway Arena – Norfolk, VASaturday, Jun. 14 – Altria Theater – Richmond, VASunday, Jun. 15 – The Modell Lyric – Baltimore, MDTuesday, Jun. 17 – Akron Civic Theatre – Akron, OHWednesday, Jun. 18 – The Capitol Theatre – Wheeling, WVThursday, Jun. 19 – Appalachian Wireless Arena – Pikeville, KFriday, Jun. 20 – The Palace Theatre – Greensburg, PASaturday, Jun. 21 – Taft Theatre – Cincinnati, OHSunday, Jun. 22 – Morris Performing Arts Center – South Bend, INTuesday, Jun. 24 – Brown County Music Center – Nashville, INWednesday, Jun. 25 – Victory Theatre – Evansville, INThursday, Jun. 26 – Peoria Civic Center – Peoria, ILSaturday, Jun. 28 – The Family Arena – Saint Charles, MOSunday, Jun. 29 – Louisville Palace – Louisville, KY
It’s official: Taylor Swift owned the year 2024, we were just living in it.
Swift creates history by being named as the IFPI’s Biggest-Selling Global Recording Artist of the Year for the fifth time, and for the third consecutive year.
With her latest crown, which recognizes the top artist across physical sales, downloads and streaming, Swift is the outright No. 1 recording artist on the planet.
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Announced today, Feb. 18, Swift finished at the top of the podium, ahead of Canadian rapper Drake and K-pop sensation SEVENTEEN, respectively.
This year’s victory follows Swift’s wins in 2014, 2019, 2022 and 2023. No one comes close to her record. Now in its 12th year, just two other acts have led the IFPI’s Global Recording Artist Chart on multiple occasions – Drake (in 2016 and 2018) and BTS (2020, 2021).
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The artist award and chart is the first and only ranking to accurately capture the popularity of artists across streaming channels, doing so alongside digital and physical album and singles sales on a global basis, across the calendar year.
Also, the IFPI reports, TayTay does a Swift Sweep on the Federation’s various year-end tallies.
With her all-conquering release The Tortured Poets Department, the pop superstar leads the IFPI’s Global Album Chart, Global Vinyl Album Chart, Global Streaming Album Chart and Global Album Sales Chart.
“We are immensely proud to award the IFPI Global Recording Artist of the Year Award to Taylor Swift for the fifth time, as she continues to redefine the limits of global success,” comments Victoria Oakley, CEO, IFPI.
“This has been a huge year for Taylor, and it has been incredible to see the extent to which fans all over the world are connecting with her superb catalog of music.”
With her record smashing The Eras Tour filling stadiums around the globe in 2024, economists and analysts coined the expression “The Taylor Swift Effect,” which explains the broader cultural and economic impact when her shows come to town.
A product of that phenomenon can be seen in the IFPI’s charts as fans, hyped up by her live performances, boosted her entire catalog on streaming platforms.
Swift was also a juggernaut on wax in 2024. According to the IFPI, 1989 (Taylor’s Version) (from 2023), Midnights (2022), folklore (2020), evermore (2020) and Lover (2019) all appeared in the top 20 of the trade body’s 2024 Global Vinyl Album Chart.
In other takeaways from the IFPI’s Global Charts, Zach Bryan and Sabrina Carpenter crack the top 10 of the Global Recording Artist Chart, whilst Noah Kahan, Benson Boone, Chappell Roan and Teddy Swims locked onto the Global Streaming Album Chart for the first time.
On the Global Album Sales Chart, K-Pop once again led the way. Meanwhile, Chinese artist Zhou Shen and Japan’s Snow Man impact the top 20 of the albums tally, which is based on unit sales across physical and download formats.
Top 20 IFPI Global Recording Artist Chart 2024:
PositionPrior YearArtist11Taylor Swift24Drake32SEVENTEEN4Re-entry (2022)Billie Eilish53Stray Kids616Zach Bryan75The Weeknd814Eminem9Re-entry (2022)Kendrick Lamar10NEWSabrina Carpenter11Re-entry (2021)Ariana Grande1219Post Malone136Morgan Wallen14NEWENHYPEN1517Travis Scott1618Kanye West1710Lana Del Rey18Re-entry (2016)Beyoncé19NEWLinkin Park209Bad Bunny
Charli XCX loves to keep her fans on their toes and in a new Instagram post over the weekend the singer hinted that she might have another hard pivot just around the corner. After headlining the second weekend of Australia’s Laneway Festival — where she shared the bill with Remi Wolf, Beabadoobee and Clairo, among others — the Grammy-winning “Von Dutch” singer said she’s considering swerving into yet another new musical lane.
“I really had fun doing it and it got me thinking, what if we made a record with guitars or strings… or both? Lou Reed era maybe, I dunno just saying,” Charli said in a video re-posted by a fan in which she said the Clairo track “Sofia” is one of her favorite songs. “I heard it before it came out, like, a few years ago, and I always loved it,” she said of the tune the pair collaborated on at Laneway on Friday (Feb. 14) in Melbourne.
Charli adding that she texted Clairo before the show and asked if she wanted to team-up on a live version of the tune that was released as the third single from Clairo’s 2019 debut studio album, Immunity.
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It wouldn’t be out of the question for the singers to team-up, as Clairo was featured on “February 2017” from Charli’s 2019 album, Charli.
One of the co-producers of Charli’s career-defining 2024 Brat album, Finn Keane, recently told Grammy.com that the 32-year-old singer is itching to “do the complete opposite thing again” on her next LP. “Some of the conversations we’re having and music we’ve been playing around with the last couple of months have been completely the opposite [of Brat]. I love that spirit. It’s the iconoclastic impulse to rebuild something completely different, to show that you actually could do this other thing,” said Keane, who noted that a big turn from the club aesthetic of Brat is “very in keeping with her ethos.”
Keane doubled-down, saying that all the musical discussions they’ve had since XCX released her Brat and it’s completely different but also still brat remix album last year have been kind of “anti-Brat. I doubt that’ll stick, but that’s been a really interesting thing to observe and makes me very optimistic and excited about [what’s next],” he said.
Charli ‘s Brat world tour will ramp up again in April with a show in Mexico City at Axe Ceremonia on April 5, followed by headlining sets at the Coachella festival in mid-April and the kick off of her U.S. arena tour on April 22.
BE@RBRICK, a music-driven, CG-animated comedy series based on the collectible figures from Medicom Toy, is premiering globally on Apple TV+ on Friday, March 21. Timbaland, the Billboard chart-topping and Grammy Award-winning producer, is executive music producer on the show, which is produced and animated by DreamWorks Animation and Dentsu Inc. Featuring original songs, the series […]
Chappell Roan is teasing her single “The Giver” again. After surprising fans in November by playing the country-spiked song during her Saturday Night Live debut, over the weekend Chappell was at it again, though this time she made them work a bit to hear it.
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The tune was hidden in a dial-up stunt Roan posted on her Instagram Story (check out a repost of it here), reachable by dialing the number (629) 468-8646 (aka “Hot To Go”), at which point a voice menu offered a series of options to reach a dentist, attorney, plumber or construction services.
Hitting the options took you to a trio of low-fi snippets of the song, on which she confidently notes her ability to “get the job done” and satisfy a female partner better than any man ever could. During a spoken word portion of the fiddle-flecked tune on SNL, Roan noted, “All you country boys think you know how to treat a woman right. Well, only a woman knows how to treat a woman right. She gets the job done.”
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The song, which has not yet been officially released, is Roan’s first new music since the release of the singer’s Grammy-winning 2023 debut LP, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess. In a New York Times interview last fall, Roan producer Dan Nigo teased that the twangy tune would be a “fun, uptempo country song” featuring some fiddle that would show a new side of the singer.
At the time, Nigro said he and Roan were already five songs into recording her sophomore effort, which he said would also include a “couple of ballads” and a “mid-tempo rock song.” Without saying too much, Nigro said that the untitled second LP would spotlight “a new version of Chappell.”
After Roan’s best new artist acceptance speech at last month’s Grammy Awards, a number of powerful figures in the music business have stepped forward to help heed the singer’s call to support up-and-coming artist’s need for health care. Among those who’ve donated to the cause so far are labelmate Sabrina Carpenter, Charli XCX and Noah Kahan, with Live Nation, AEG Global Touring, Wasserman Foundation and Hinterland Music Festival also joining the We Got You campaign.
Madonna seems to be in a nostalgic mood lately. Look no further than a post on Monday (Feb. 17) in which the singer hinted that she is gearing up to re-visit one of her most underrated eras. The one-minute video cued to the title track of the title track from her 1994 album Bedtime Stories, […]
Massive Attack have been announced as the latest headliners for LIDO 2025 in London this summer. The show will be their first show in the English capital for nine years. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The British band is scheduled to play a bill-topping set at […]
Nick Cave is standing firm on his admiration for Kanye West’s music, even as the rapper continues to stir controversy with his inflammatory remarks and actions.
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The legendary Australian singer-songwriter addressed his stance in response to a fan letter on his Red Hand Files blog, following his recent revelation that he wanted West’s “I Am a God” played at his funeral.
Since Cave’s initial comments, West has reignited outrage by doubling down on anti-Semitic remarks, openly declaring himself a Nazi, and selling a swastika-branded T-shirt on his website. One fan bluntly questioned Cave: “How the hell can you listen to the song without seeing the scum of a human being that Kanye has become?”
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In response, Cave acknowledged the controversy while making it clear that he does not condone West’s actions. “Numerous letters have come in expressing, in no uncertain terms, disapproval of my fondness for Kanye West’s music,” Cave began.
“A lot of time and energy has been spent explaining the evil of Nazism, the harm of antisemitism, why it is wrong to sell t-shirts emblazoned with swastikas, and why it is unacceptable to coerce one’s girlfriend into standing naked on the red carpet at the Grammys.” he continued. “On that matter, it seems, we can all find some common ground. I agree.”
However, Cave pushed back against the idea of fully dismissing an artist’s work due to their personal failings. “The idea of an artist being divorced from their art is absurd,” he explained.
“However, the great gift of art is the potential for the artist to excavate their interior chaos and transform it into something sublime. This is what Kanye does. This is what I strive to do, and this is the enterprise undertaken by all genuine artists. The remarkable utility of art lies in its audacity to transfigure our corrupted state and create something beautiful.”
Cave went on to describe West as “an exemplar par excellence” of this concept, stating that despite his “brokenness,” the rapper’s music embodies the tension between “sin, transcendence, and genius.”
Still, he did not shy away from condemning West’s actions. “As odious and disappointing as many of Kanye’s views are, and as sickening as antisemitism is – in its sadly always-present, ever-morphing forms – I endeavour to seek beauty wherever it presents itself,” he wrote. “In doing so, I am reluctant to invalidate the best of us in an attempt to punish the worst. I don’t think we can afford that luxury.”
Cave’s comments come years after he previously referred to West as “our greatest artist,” praising his fearless creative approach. However, even then, he admitted that West’s troubling rhetoric made it difficult to listen to his music without hesitation.
As West’s latest actions spark further backlash—including his recent suspension from X (formerly Twitter), Shopify shutting down his Yeezy store, and his talent agency dropping him—many in the music industry continue to distance themselves from him. Ty Dolla $ign, West’s Vultures collaborator, has publicly condemned hate speech, while Charlie Puth and David Schwimmer have called for further consequences against the rapper.
Despite numerous controversies over the years, West’s music has long had a presence on the Billboard charts. His 2013 album Yeezus—which includes “I Am a God,” the song Cave wants played at his funeral—debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
Former Guns N’ Roses drummer Matt Sorum has dismissed suggestions that Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler will ever return to the touring circuit.
Sorum’s claims arrived just weeks after Tyler made a return to the stage as part of his sixth annual Jam for Janie Grammy Awards Viewing Party. With Sorum serving as Musical Director, the event was only the second time that Tyler had performed live since a 2023 vocal injury which halted Aerosmith’s touring schedule, and the first time since the band announced their formal retirement in August of 2024.
Performing alongside Extreme’s Nuno Bettencourt, Tyler sung covers of songs by Extreme and Led Zeppelin, and four Aerosmith staples, which saw the musician joined by the likes of Mick Fleetwood, Lainey Wilson, the Black Crowes’ Chris Robinson, Jessie J, and Aerosmith bassist Tom Hamilton. However, despite the positive response from fans, Sorum told Joe Rock of Long Island radio station WBAB (via Blabbermouth) that the strain of global touring would prevent Tyler from performing on a large scale once again.
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“Some fans were a little bit, like, ‘Well, he can sing.’ Well, let me just explain what’s happening with Steven Tyler, ’cause he’s a really good friend,” Sorum explained. “He went out and sang. And it was a really big moment for him because he hurt himself bad. Now, is he gonna tour again? No, he’s not. Because, and I explained this to people, Steven cannot put himself under the rigors of doing a full worldwide tour because there’s a lot of pressure.
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“And if you’re not a singer, you wouldn’t understand what he goes through, but he’s 77 years old and he’s a perfectionist. And if he doesn’t sing correctly, it bothers him. And he’s not gonna put it on tape, like 80 percent of the people that are out there taking your money. He will not be on tape, and he won’t change the keys of the song. That’s just who he is. He’s, like, ‘I’m an artist. I’m a singer. This is my band. I’ve been doing this for 50 years. And if I can’t do it perfect, I can’t do it.’ And I respect that.
“I talked to him about it multiple times,” added Sorum. “I said, ‘So, just sing four or five songs tops.’ He says, ‘I can do that.’ And that was just one time. Maybe down the line, he’ll do it again and possibly do the same amount of songs.”
Initially, early reports of Tyler’s recent live appearance claimed that the performance would in fact be an Aerosmith reunion. If it were true, it would have been the group’s first live show since Sept. 2023.
While performing in Elmont, NY on Sept. 9 of that year, Tyler fractured his larynx, necessitating the postponement of shows on their Peace Out tour. Ultimately, these shows were canceled entirely when the band announced their retirement from touring in August 2024.
In January, Hamilton spoke to Boston’s WBUR to provide an update on Tyler’s health status, and to provide an insight into future Aerosmith activity. “Maybe Aerosmith will do something in the future, but it’s a big if and the last thing I want to be doing is to try and push Steven in that direction,” he explained. “If we do anything in the future, it would come from him.”