Music

10 Jul 2024

Katy Perry Announces Dance-Pop Album ‘143’: Here’s When It Arrives

After months of teasing her sixth studio album, Katy Perry has finally announced that her next project, titled 143, is on its way this fall.

On social media Wednesday (July 10), the 39-year-old pop star unveiled the LP’s cover art — a spacey photo of a nearly nude Perry seemingly levitating in the center of a blue and red cosmos. She also confirmed in the caption that the project will arrive Sept. 20, a full four years after her last album, Smile, arrived in 2020.

For those curious about the record’s wordless title, “143” is code for “I love you.” The usage dates back to the early 1900s, per Dictionary.com.

“I set out to create a bold, exuberant, celebratory dance-pop album with the symbolic 143 numerical expression of love as a throughline message,” Perry confirmed in a statement.

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143 will be led by the recently retired American Idol judge’s previously announced single, “Woman’s World,” which arrives July 11 and was produced by Dr. Luke, Vaughn Oliver, Aaron Joseph and Rocco Did It Again!. One day prior to the album news, she shared a teaser for the track’s music video, featuring high-energy vocals and sultry shots of Perry playing a modernized Rosie the Riveter in a red, white and blue string bikini.

According to a release, the track will match much of the songs on 143 — a “sexy, fearless return to form for the multifaceted musician.”

Fans can also expect “empowering and provocative pop anthems” with “a lot of heart – and a lot of BPM.”

See Perry’s 143 announcement below.

10 Jul 2024

Eminem Teases Slim Shady Revival in Frightening ‘The Death of Slim Shady’ Graveyard Trailer: Watch

Eminem making a “Hawk Tuah” joke probably wasn’t on many fans’ bingo cards for 2024, but here we are. The rapper’s The Death of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce) album is just a couple of days away, and Slim unleashed another trailer on Wednesday (July 10) teasing the LP centered around killing off his alter ego while tapping into the viral trend.

The ominous clip features Slim Shady’s tombstone on a rainy night. The gravestone is inscribed with “Beloved Antagonist Slim Shady 1997-2024 It Feels So Empty Without Him” in an homage to lyrics from his 2002 hit “Without Me.”

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A person walking by the tombstone hawks a loogie on the tombstone. Then seconds later, a battered and bruised arm emerges from the dirt, signaling a possible Slim Shady revival.

“It feels so empty without him” HAWK TUAH #TheDeathOfSlimShady 7/12,” Em captioned the graveyard trailer on social media.

Fans found it hilarious that the 51-year-old was plugged into the trending topic. “Eminem saying Hawk Tuah was not in my 2024 agenda,” one person tweeted. Another replied in shock, “EMINEM JUST SAID HAWK TUAH AINT NO WAY.”

For those unfamiliar, per The Cut, the now famous Hawk Tuah Girl is named Hailey Welch. She went viral in June when asked in a Nashville street0-side interview about moves that make guys “go crazy” in bed, and she replied with the sexual spitting noise. “You gotta give them that hawk tuah and spit on that thing,” Welch said. “Ya get me?”

Back to Eminem, the Detroit legend is gearing up to deliver his The Death of Slim Shady album on Friday (July 12). A tracklist popped up on Apple Music boasting 19 songs, including a sequel to 1999’s “Guilty Conscience” with Dr. Dre. However, the featured artists remain a secret.

Em heated up his 12th studio album’s rollout with a pair of singles, starting with “Houdini,” which gave him his highest charting Billboard Hot 100 entry of the decade at No. 2. “Tobey” featuring fellow Detroit natives Big Sean and BabyTron, followed as the second single.

Watch the new trailer for The Death of Slim Shady below.

10 Jul 2024

Rita Ora Gushes About Her ‘Pop Girls’ Reunion With Taylor Swift & Katy Perry at Sydney Eras Tour Show

Only one may have taken the stage, but three pop stars were present at Taylor Swift‘s Eras Tour show in Sydney in February. And while appearing on the latest episode of The Tonight Show Tuesday (July 9), Rita Ora had nothing but kind things to say about the concert, which she watched from a VIP tent alongside Katy Perry.

“The pop girls have really come together on that one,” the “I Will Never Let You Down” singer told host Jimmy Fallon of the experience, calling Perry her “buddy.”

“We were in Australia and we were both doing separate jobs, and obviously everyone in the world has seen the Eras Tour,” continued Ora of the “Firework” singer. “So I went and I really wanted to just hang out. It was really cool because it was the first time I’ve seen her in ages and she’s putting out music, and you know, everyone’s just doing their thing.”

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After the show, the vocalist posted a backstage photo with the “Anti-Hero” singer, plus pictures of her cozying up to Perry at Accor Stadium. She also shared a snap with Swift’s boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, who flashed a big smile while posing with an arm around Ora’s shoulder.

“It’s fair to say Sydney ?? always delivers – Or shall we say our TayTay @taylorswift always delivers!” she wrote on Instagram at the time. “thank you for having us! Seeing my KP @katyperry made my heart ? to many queens to count!”

The Descendants: The Rise of Red star was also accompanied by husband Taika Waititi at the Eras show, and the director joined in on Ora’s photo with Swift. The couple tied the knot in August 2022, although they didn’t reveal their nuptials until their anniversary the next year.

On the Tonight Show, Ora shared that their intimate ceremony in Los Angeles was somewhat spontaneous. Even their Elvis impersonator was a total surprise, with the star saying she “didn’t ask” for him to be there.

“There was no plan,” she told Fallon. “I got married off the cuff and it was so fun … The first song [the impersonator] sang was, ‘I’m caught in a trap.’ I was like, ‘Is that how we want to start?’”

Watch Ora recount her Eras Tour experience above.

10 Jul 2024

Sexyy Red & André 3000 Bond Over Haters

Sexyy Red and André 3000 bonded over haters during a recent appearance on the Uninterrupted’s The Shop.

In a clip posted on The Shop‘s Instagram page, the St. Louis rapper was speaking about doubters when André stepped in to tell her to let the hate motivate her.

“They still don’t believe in me, so I just be like, ‘I’ma show you who I am,’” she said. “And like he said, they don’t understand like we really came from nothin’ and then we be makin’ big achievements. Like, that’s something for us. And then they just be like, ‘You ain’t doing nothin’.’ But for us, it’s like, ain’t nobody doin’ this.”

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Stacks interjected to give her some advice, saying, “Fuel. Use it for fuel. Hater fuel, man, it’s the best shit. It’s free energy.”

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Sexyy Red then replied, “I like it when they talk about me, I ain’t gonna lie,” to which André then said, “That s–t free energy, that make me go, that make me go in. I love when somebody doubts you.” She then responded in agreement, saying, “‘Cause now I’m finna show you somethin’.”

One fan took 3000’s “hater fuel” quote as a challenge, telling the rapper-turned-flautist to “stick to that lil’ flute,” which started a hilarious thread of replies of things such as he wouldn’t be able to handle a Madlib beat or that Sexyy Red could out rap him.

On Tuesday (July 9), The Shop posted a clip of André 3000 telling a story about the time Pimp C got mad at him for taking the beat off his verse when they were making the classic love song “Int’l Players Anthem.”

This particular episode will also include fashion designer Jerry Lorenzo, BMX athlete Nigel Sylvester and comedian-actress Jiaoying Summers, and premieres Thursday, July 11, at 12 p.m. ET.

10 Jul 2024

Bunnie XO Opens Up About Her Not-So-NSFW Sex Life With Jelly Roll: ‘My Husband Is So Vanilla’

Jelly Roll and Bunnie XO might be on fire in their careers right now, but their sex life is a little less fiery than fans might think. 

On the latest episode of her Dumb Blonde podcast posted Tuesday (July 9), the 44-year-old entrepreneur opened up about her not-so-NSFW affairs with the “Son of a Sinner” singer. “My husband is so vanilla,” she put it plainly. “He doesn’t like any of that s–t. He is like, ‘Just ride me and get off.’” 

Even so, Bunnie said it’s rare that the couple ever has enough energy to get spicy. “We’re so busy,” she continued. “The last thing we ever think about is sex — I mean, I think about it all the time and I’m sure he does too — but we are just so busy and so tired. We love crawling into bed and just watching a TV show together. That’s like foreplay to us.” 

Bunnie also recently shared other news about their personal life, revealing that they’re trying to conceive a baby, but through in vitro fertilization.  “I’m in my baby mama gardening era,” she said on a previous episode of Dumb Blonde earlier this month. “Anyone who has struggled with infertility, all you really want is people rooting you on.” 

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On the latest episode of her podcast, Bunnie was also candid about her husband’s body image struggles. The country star has been open about his fitness journey in the past, and recently ran his first-ever 5K with his wife by his side.  

“He’s such a cute little squishy baby,” Bunnie said of Jelly. “I just feel like, because he is in front of such a huge audience critiquing him all the time, he always feels like he has to hide behind jackets and flannels. I’m like, ‘Baby, you don’t gotta do that. Just be the little squish that you are.’” 

Listen to Bunnie chat about her husband below. 

10 Jul 2024

The Oak Ridge Boys’ Top 10 Billboard Hot Country Songs Hits

Joe Bonsall, a member of The Oak Ridge Boys for 50 years, died on July 9 at age 73 from complications of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).

Bonsall joined the act in 1973 after leaving gospel group The Keystones. He last toured with The Oak Ridge Boys last December, before announcing his retirement earlier this year.

The Oak Ridge Boys won two Country Music Association Awards: vocal group of the year in 1978 and single of the year in 1981 for “Elvira” – the track became their biggest Billboard Hot 100 hit, reaching No. 5. The Academy of Country Music likewise awarded the band top vocal group honors in 1978.

The Oak Ridge Boys were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2015. “For 50 years, Joe Bonsall was the Oak Ridge Boys’ sparkplug,” Kyle Young, CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, shared in a statement upon Bonsall’s passing. “He was as exciting a performer as any who ever hit a gospel or country stage. His tenor voice was high and clear, and his jovial spirit always provided a jolt of energy, immediately rousing audiences to come on in and take a load off. He certainly lightened our cares every time he sang.”

On Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart, The Oak Ridge Boys first appeared in 1976. They followed with 1977’s “Y’all Come Back Saloon,” which hit No. 3 that October, granting the act its first of 34 top 10s. “I’ll Be True to You” led in June 1978, becoming the band’s first of 17 chart-toppers, a haul that ran through “No Matter How High” in March 1990. The act last hit the top 10 in 1991 with “Lucky Moon.”

The Oak Ridge Boys’ collection of 17 No. 1s ranks third-best among duos/groups since Hot Country Songs became the genre’s all-encompassing singles survey in 1958. Alabama boasts 33 No. 1s and Brooks & Dunn, 20. (George Strait leads all acts with 44.)

On Top Country Albums, The Oak Ridge Boys have notched three No. 1s among 14 top 10s.

Below, in celebration of the band’s music and Bonsall’s key contributions, count down The Oak Ridge Boys’ biggest hits on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart.

The Oak Ridge Boys’ 10 Biggest Billboard Hits recap is based on actual performance on Billboard’s weekly Hot Country Songs chart. Songs are ranked based on an inverse point system, with weeks at No. 1 earning the greatest value and weeks at lower ranks earning less. To ensure equitable representation of the biggest hits from each era, certain time frames were weighted to account for the difference between turnover rates from those years.

10 Jul 2024

Jon Bon Jovi Pays Tribute to Late Mother Carol Bongiovi: ‘A Force To Be Reckoned With’

Jon Bon Jovi paid loving tribute to the Bongiovi family matriarch on Wednesday (July 10), a day after his mother, Carol Bongiovi, died at 83. The Bon Jovi front man’s mom died of undisclosed causes on Tuesday (July 9) at Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch, N.J. just a three days short of her 84th birthday.

“Our mother was a force to be reckoned with, her spirit and can-do attitude shaped this family. She will be greatly missed,” Bon Jovi, 62, said in a statement from the family; Bon Jovi (born John Francis Bongiovi Jr.) has two younger brothers, Anthony and fellow musician Matthew Bongiovi. In addition to being a former Playboy playmate and florist, Carol was married to barber and fellow Marine veteran John Francis Bongiovi Sr. and operated her son’s fan club for many years.

According to an obituary from the Holmdel Funeral Home, the family matriarch enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1959, where she met her future husband. The couple moved to Sayreville, N.J. after their hitch in the military, where they raised their family before moving to Holmdel, N.J.

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The woman affectionally referred to as “Mom Jovi” by the Garden State legends’ fans made a cameo, along with his dad, in the singer’s 2021 “Story of Love” video. In the visual, Jon strummed an acoustic guitar in front of a wall of family photos — including a giant black and white snap of his folks with their eldest son — as he sang about familia love. “Father love daughters like mothers love sons,” he sang. “They’ve been writing our story before there was one/ From the day you arrive/ ‘Til you walk, ‘Til you run/ There is nothing but pride, there is nothing but love/ They can offer advice that you don’t wanna hear/ Words that cut like a knife and still ring in your ear.”

In an interview with the Big Issue in 2020, Bon Jovi, 62, spoke lovingly of the lessons he learned from his parents, especially their unwavering support after his admittedly “terrible” first talent show performance as a teen. “What I got from my parents was the ability to make the dream reality. They always instilled that confidence in their kids which, in retrospect, I realize was so incredibly valuable,” he told the mag at the time. “Because even if you truly weren’t any good at your craft, if you believed you were, you could work on it. As I got older I realized that was a great gift that I got from my folks. They truly believed in the John Kennedy mantra of going to the moon. ‘Yeah, of course you can go to the moon. Just go, Johnny.’ And there I went.”

Carol Bongiovi was born Carol Sharkey in Erie, Pennsylvania on July, 12, 1940 and is survived by her husband of 63 years, their three sons and daughters-in-law as well as eight grandchildren.

10 Jul 2024

The Notorious B.I.G.’s ‘Ready to Die’ Is Getting a 30th Anniversary Limited-Edition Reissue

The Notorious B.I.G.’s acclaimed Ready to Die debut album, which turns 30 years old in September, is getting some special treatment for the big anniversary: A limited-edition 2-LP reissue is set to mark the occasion.

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Ready to Die (30th Anniversary) will arrive on the album’s original Sept. 13 release date, and will feature a reimagined cover art featuring a photo of Biggie Smalls, the late Brooklyn rapper’s G subway stop and the Brooklyn Bridge.

The limited-edition reissue will be available commercially as a double album on black vinyl sold on Rhino and Biggie’s official online shop. Select retailers such as Barnes & Noble will also have a color vinyl edition for sale on the same day.

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Ready to Die landed in 1994, and gave the East Coast an instant classic while shaking the cages of the ’90s rap landscape. Powered by singles “Juicy,” “Big Poppa” and “One More Chance,” Biggie’s set of street tales reached No. 15 on the Billboard 200. “Juicy” peaked at No. 27 on the Billboard Hot 100 while “Big Poppa” (No. 6) and the “One More Chance/ Stay With Me (Remix)” (No. 2) impacted the top 10 of the all-genre chart.

Ready to Die came in at No. 24 on Billboard‘s Best Rap Albums of All-Time list and he could have another entry in the top 10. “The rapper was ready to leave behind years of drug dealing, his mother was battling breast cancer, and his girlfriend was pregnant with their first child,” William E. Ketchum wrote of the album. “But Christopher Wallace was up to the task: he wrote ruthless hood dramas and delivered them with both menace and charm, whichever was the right fit for the variety of speaker rattlers and smooth samples steered by Sean ‘Puff Daddy’ Combs.”

Find the Ready to Die (30th Anniversary) cover art below.

10 Jul 2024

Vanessa Williams Shares One of Elton John’s ‘Epic’ Songs From ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ Musical

Elton John songs? For a musical? Groundbreaking. Vanessa Williams is really giving fans a glimpse into the pop icon’s new tunes for her new musical based on The Devil Wears Prada.

During her appearance on the Wednesday (July 10) episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show, the “Save the Best for Last” singer shared some details about working with the pop legend for the show, which began its off-West End run in Plymouth, England, on July 6.

“I am honored because I grew up listening to Elton John on my little transistor radio on my windowsill with my two antennae, listening to ‘Bennie and the Jets’ and [‘Goodbye Yellow Brick Road’],” she said. “That’s my childhood! So, to be able to work with him and have him write new songs that I get the chance to sing for him is pretty epic.”

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In the show, Williams plays the titular role of Miranda Priestly, the icy, high-powered editor-in-chief at the fashion magazine Runway. In discussing her performance in the show, the actress gave Clarkson and her audience a tease of one of the show’s pivotal numbers.

“The script is very much based on the movie, so you see all the aspects of that, but it’s amplified by the music. So, for instance, in the second act they’re doing their fashion show and everyone thinks [Miranda] is on the outs,” she explained, before launching into an a capella rendition of the song. “‘You think that I can’t see you/ Smugly sitting there with glee/ Eager for the ending you’ve been waiting years to see/ Today, she’s getting ousted/ Yet her final hour’s nigh/ ‘Miranda’s reign has run its course’/ That’s what you think? Oh my.’”

Williams also shared that thanks to John’s musical sensibilities, the songs immediately lend themselves to broader cultural appeal. “This music takes the transition from the words and brings it to musical theater — but it’s also pop, too, because that’s Elton’s background,” she said. “So, there’s going to be remixes on the radio from The Devil Wears Prada, because he know what works in both genres.”

Check out the clip of Williams’ interview on The Kelly Clarkson Show below:

10 Jul 2024

Drake Gets Trolled by Argentina’s Soccer Team After Canada’s Loss in Copa América Semifinal

Not only was Drake out a six-figure wager following Canada’s loss to Argentina on the pitch in the Copa América semi-final on Tuesday (July 9), but the winning soccer team’s X account added insult to injury while trolling Drizzy.

Argentina poured salt in the wound after the 2-0 victory over Canada by quoting Kendrick Lamar’s Drake diss track “Not Like Us,” captioning a post on X: “Not like us, not with us.” The accompanying photo features members of the team huddled up, with “Not Like Us” written across the top of the image.

Argentina fans hopped into the replies, mocking the Toronto native following team Canada’s loss. “Drake really been losing in all areas lately clearly ‘Not Like Us’ and Not with us after losing $300k,” one person wrote.

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Another added: “Drake bet against Argentina and the admin is subbing canada with Kendrick Lamar song!”

Drake had faith in his home country after betting $300,000 on the Canada squad to upset the heavily favored Argentinians on Tuesday night at MetLife Stadium. The wager would have paid out over $2.5 million. However, Canada ended up losing 2-0 as Argentine soccer star Lionel Messi deflected in the second goal to put the match out of reach in the second half.

Argentina is heading to another Copa América final, and is awaiting the winner of Wednesday night’s (July 10) contest between Uruguay and Colombia, with the finals set for Sunday (July 14) in Miami.

It hasn’t exactly been the summer Drake envisioned thus far, with detractors using Lamar’s “Not Like Us” and his battle against the Compton rapper against him.

K. Dot’s Drake diss could top the Billboard Hot 100 once again next week with an added boost thanks to the “Not Like Us” video, which arrived on July 4.