Music

06 Jan 2024

Cher Snuggles Up With Boyfriend Alexander Edwards in Sweet New Photo: ‘Love Is Love’

“Love is Love,” Cher says in the caption of a cozy new photo with her boyfriend, producer Alexander Edwards.

Cher shared the cuddly picture of herself with her beau on Saturday (Jan. 6) on X, formerly Twitter. In the photo, she sits on Edwards’ lap and embraces him, with one hand on his back and the other affectionately touching his chin.

The singer, 77, first met Edwards, 37, at Paris Fashion Week in September 2022.

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She opened up about their romance and its 40-year age gap on The Kelly Clarkson Show in December 2022, noting, “On paper, it’s kind of ridiculous. But in real life, we get along great. He’s fabulous. And I don’t give men qualities that they don’t deserve.” She added that Edwards is “very kind, very smart, he’s very talented, and he’s really funny,” before adding, “And I think he’s quite handsome.”

In October 2023, she told People of their relationship, “I hate when people say people are special, but lots of people say I’m special, so I can say that he’s special. No matter what happens, I love being with him. He makes me laugh, and we have fun. What I learned is that it’s never too late. If you wrote out all the statistics, you would go, ‘Well, this is doomed.’ But we’ve been together a year, and if it was just a year, it would’ve been worth it. I’ve had the best time.”

Cher’s latest hit — “DJ Play a Christmas Song,” off of her holiday album, Christmas — topped Billboard‘s Pop Airplay chart, Adult Contemporary chart and Dance/Electronic Song Sales chart last month.

She’s had at least one new No. 1 on a Billboard songs chart in each of the seven decades from the 1960s through the 2020s, including her run as half of Sonny & Cher.

See her sweet snaphsot with Edwards below.

06 Jan 2024

Katharine McPhee and David Foster’s Baby Son Shows Off Amazing Drumming Skills: Watch

Katharine McPhee and David Foster‘s baby son is taking after his musical parents.

On Friday (Jan. 5), the actress and singer, 39, shared a TikTok video of her 2-year-old son Rennie showing off his incredible drumming skills.

“My 2 year old baby is a genius!” McPhee wrote in the video, which finds the toddler expertly playing a customized mini set. “like what?!” she added in the caption.

Foster, 74, shared the same video on his Instagram page, writing, “Drumming into the new year,” alongside the hashtag #still2yearsold.

The 16-time Grammy winner’s post drew comments from numerous celebrities, including Nick Cannon, Charlie Puth, Tyrese, Derek Hough, Kristin Chenoweth, Joey McIntyre and others.

“WHAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!” Puth commented. “Yes yes yes!!!! It’s in the BLOOD!!!!!!” Tyrese wrote. And “I still can’t believe him!” Chenoweth added.

This isn’t the first time McPhee and Foster have shared clips of Rennie’s unbelievable musical talent. In October, the Smash star shared another video of her son rocking out on the drums.

“POV: your 2 year old baby shows off his drumming skills,” McPhee wrote in the clip on Instagram. “Coming for ya @travisbarker,” she joked in the caption, referencing the Blink-182 drummer.

See Foster’s video of his son’s drumming on Instagram below.

06 Jan 2024

Kanye West Gushes Over Wife Bianca Censori on Her 29th Birthday: ‘I Love You So Much’

Kanye West is celebrating his wife’s special day. On Saturday (Jan. 6), the 46-year-old rapper, who now goes by Ye, took to social media to gush over Bianca Censori on her 29th birthday.

“Happy birthday to the most beautiful super bad iconic muse inspirational talented artist masters degree in architecture 140 IQ loving by my side everyday when half the world turned their backs on me and the most amazing step mom to our children I love you so much thank you for sharing your life with me,” Ye wrote on Instagram alongside a photo of Censori.

The rapper — who’s Vultures album with Ty Dolla $ign is expected to drop soon — shared numerous other photos of his wife on Saturday morning.

“I miss you when I wake up before you,” he captioned a snapshot of Censori flashing a smile while sporting a Vultures sweatshirt and furry white boots.

In another image, Ye dons a black armless hoodie while Censori covers her nearly-naked body with a purple pillow. “Yall know who ran the summer,” the rapper wrote.

Vultures, which was scheduled to drop on New Year’s Eve, includes features by Future, Lil Baby, Playboi Carti, Freddie Gibbs, North West and more. Ahead of the album’s original planned release in mid-December, Ye and Ty were in promo mode in Miami, doing a bevy of listening parties and performances at Art Basel and Club Liv. Ye popped up at Wynwood Marketplace in mid-December to preview the album, appearing in a black Klu Klux Klan-style hood and performed the album’s title track with his daughter North West standing alongside him. Of course, his outfit of choice sparked controversy and caused chatter on social media. 

Vultures is Ye’s first album since the release of his 2021 album, Donda, which won a pair of Grammys the following year, most notably best rap song for “Jail.” As for Ye and Ty, their collaborations date back to Ty’s “Ego Death” (2020), Ye’s “Everything We Need” (2019), “Real Friends” (2016), and “Only One” (2014). 

See Ye’s birthday post to Censori on Instagram here.

06 Jan 2024

John Mayer Reveals Whether He’s Open to Getting Married Someday

John Mayer is opening up about the possibility of marriage.

During a recent episode of Kelly Rizzo’s Comfort Food podcast, the 46-year-old musician — who’s former girlfriends include Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, Jessica Simpson, Jennifer Aniston and Cameron Diaz — revealed whether he’s interested in settling down someday and what he’s looking for in a long-term partner.

“People don’t think I want to be married. I absolutely want to be married,” Mayer told Rizzo on Sunday’s episode, according to People.

“You know the secret, which is that I’m actually fairly well-adjusted. And I so badly want to get married if only for my wife to just know in her heart, like, ‘John will know what to do.’ I just think that level of being relied on is the hottest thing in the world to me. ‘If my husband was here, he would know what to do. Call John. Call my husband.’ You’re a full grown-up when this is your romantic fantasy. You’re a fully fledged grown-up.”

Rizzo joked back, “Your kink is that you want someone to be like, ‘John’s got a guy.’”

“Reliance kink? Oh my God,” the “Daughters” singer replied. “Reliability kink? Yes!”

This isn’t the first time Mayer has spoken out about his relationship goals. He previously Andy Cohen that having a wife and kids would complete his bucket list.

“That would be — that would complete all of it,” Mayer said on Andy Cohen Live in 2021. “And I thought about this as recently as last night. ‘Cause my brothers are both married and have children… My dad was 50 when he had me. I think if I work backwards, it’s 50. 48, 50.”

06 Jan 2024

Emilia Sells Out Concert in Spain & More Uplifting Moments in Latin Music

From career milestones to new music releases to major announcements and those little important moments, Billboard editors highlight uplifting moments in Latin music. Here’s what happened in the Latin music world this week.

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Emilia Makes Moves in Spain

Emilia kicked off 2024 by revealing that she sold out her upcoming show in Madrid’s WiZink Center slated for July 6. Not only is it a remarkable feat to achieve six months ahead of the big date but it’s also the Argentine pop star’s first time performing at a venue of this capacity in Spain. Just last month, Emilia made history in her native country selling out 10 shows at the Movistar Arena in Buenos Aires in only 10 hours. The shows are set to take place in April for a collective audience of more than 100,000 fans. Billboard can confirm that, to date, only Emilia and Luis Miguel have achieved this feat. 

Emilia

Emilia performs in concert on Day 2 of Morrina Fest on July 29, 2023 in A Coruna, Spain.

Cristina Andina/Redferns

Grupo Firme’s Europe Takeover

Speaking of concerts, this week Grupo Firme announced that they too are hitting the road in 2024 with their La Última Peda tour. Though the dates and venues are yet to be revealed, Firme confirmed they will be visiting fans in Mexico, the U.S., Latin America and, for the first time, Europe, becoming one of the few Mexican banda groups to do a tour in European territory. “You dictate where you want to see Grupo Firme. The most mentioned cities or countries [in the comments] will be where we will be present,” the group shared on Instagram. 

Xavi Dominates the Charts

In other música Mexicana news, rising Mexican-American artist Xavi scored his first Billboard No. 1 hit this week with “La Diabla” crowing the Hot Latin Songs chart. The viral track pushed Bad Bunny’s “Monaco” to the No. 2 spot after it spent 11 weeks at the top. “Super grateful with everyone and the whole team,” he previously told Billboard. “We’ve been doing everything with love, giving it our all to keep pushing our music and culture to new heights.” Additionally, Xavi’s “La Victima” jumped seven to five on that chart. This week, Karol G also let her followers on Instagram know that she’s been listening to Xavi. 

Bad Bunny’s New Year’s Resolution

In true fashion, Bad Bunny surprised fans at the start of this week (on New Year’s Eve) with the official music video of “No Me Quiero Casar,” part of his 2023 album nadie sabe lo que va a pasar mañana. In the nearly 10-minute-long video, the Puerto Rican artist is seen hanging out with family and friends at a NYE party—to everyone’s concern, they are all curious to know when Bad Bunny is going to settle down and get married. Annoyed by the questions and comments, and even his friends in relationships, Bunny decides to walk away and sing about living his best single life. The music video features an acting cameo by Cuban-American comedian Marcello Hernandez of Saturday Night Live and renowned Colombian DJ Alex Sensation. Revisit the clip below.

05 Jan 2024

Nigel Lythgoe Steps Away From ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ Amid Paula Abdul’s Lawsuit

Nigel Lythgoe has stepped down as a judge of So You Think You Can Dance amid a lawsuit by Paula Abdul accusing him of sexual assault, Variety reported on Friday (Jan. 5).

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“I have informed the producers of ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ of my decision to step back from participating in this year’s series,” Lythgoe, who is also an executive producer of the show, said in a statement to the publication. “I did so with a heavy heart but entirely voluntarily because this great program has always been about dance and dancers, and that’s where its focus needs to remain. In the meantime, I am dedicating myself to clearing my name and restoring my reputation.”

Fox, 19 Entertainment and Dick Clark Productions added in a statement the upcoming season, which will premiere on March 4, “will proceed, although without Nigel Lythgoe, to ensure the show remains committed to the contestants, who have worked incredibly hard for the opportunity to compete on our stage.”

Allison Holker and Maksim Chmerkovskiy have been previously announced as judges on the upcoming 18th season.

Lythgoe’s departure comes amid a lawsuit from Paula Abdul, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Friday (Dec. 29) and obtained by Billboard, claiming that  the former American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance producer  sexually assaulted her on two occasions. The first instance allegedly occurred during one of the early seasons of American Idol and the second took place in 2014 when she was in talks to judge So You Think You Can Dance.

Abdul alleges in the suit that Lythgoe first sexually assaulted her in an elevator of a hotel where they were both staying while traveling for one of Idol‘s “initial seasons.” It does not state a specific year the alleged incident occurred.

Abdul’s complaint claims that Lythgoe sexually assaulted Abdul again in 2014 when she was approached for a judging position on So You Think You Can Dance. The alleged incident took place during a dinner at his home where the two were supposed to discuss her professional opportunities, according to the lawsuit. See the full details of her lawsuit here.

Lythgoe denied the claims, saying in a statement that he was “shocked and saddened” to hear of the allegations made by Abdul, who he said he considered a “dear” and “entirely platonic” friend, The Associated Press reports.

“While Paula’s history of erratic behavior is well-known, I can’t pretend to understand exactly why she would file a lawsuit that she must know is untrue,” Lythgoe said in the statement. “But I can promise that I will fight this appalling smear with everything I have.”

05 Jan 2024

Smashing Pumpkins Looking for a Guitarist — And Holding Open Auditions

Calling all Smashing Pumpkins fans: You have a chance to become a member of the band.

On Friday (Jan. 5), the rock band took to Instagram to announce an open audition process to replace former guitarist Jeff Schroeder — meaning anyone, including fans, can apply.

“The Smashing Pumpkins are in search an additional guitarist. The application process is open to anyone who might be interested. Applicants may submit a resume and related materials to: SPGuitar@redlightmanagement.com,” the post reads.

The band — which currently consists of founding members Billy Corgan, James Iha and Jimmy Chamberlin — lost their guitarist when Schroeder exited in October after a 16-year stint with the band. In his farewell statement, Schroeder revealed that joining the band happened when he least expected it.

“It’s easy to say now that when I joined The Smashing Pumpkins in 2007 I had no idea what I was getting into. The opportunity seemed to have come out of nowhere,” he recalled. “I was at UCLA working on my doctorate in comparative literature when a close friend messaged me and said The Smashing Pumpkins were looking for a guitar player. Being a huge fan of the band, the audition was something I threw myself into. It was one of the best decisions I’ve made in my life.”

He continued, “The amount of incredible memories created over the last 16 years with the band are almost too numerous to quantify. Although it was a very difficult decision to make, I’ve decided to leave the band to make some space to explore a slightly different path. I want to thank Billy, Jimmy, James, and Jack for being both wonderful bandmates and even better friends. I will absolutely miss sharing the stage with you. I wish the band all the success in the future. I will be watching and listening.”

Smashing Pumpkins has a few months to get acclimated to whomever joins the band: The group is scheduled to head back on the road for their European tour beginning June 7 and will head Stateside in support of on Green Day’s Saviors Tour scheduled to kick off July 29 in Washington, D.C.

See the announcement below.

05 Jan 2024

Michael Bolton Recovering From Surgery to Remove Brain Tumor

Michael Bolton is recovering from surgery to remove a brain tumor. 

On Friday afternoon (Jan. 5), the legendary crooner posted on his Instagram account, “Just before the holidays, it was discovered that I had a brain tumor, which required immediate surgery. Thanks to my incredible medical team, the surgery was a success. I am now recuperating at home and surrounded by the tremendous love and support of my family.”

Bolton has a number of 2024 tour dates on his website, starting Feb. 1 in Florida and running through Dec. 22. Many of those dates will be rescheduled as he recuperates.

“For the next couple of months, I will be devoting my time and energy to my recovery which means I’ll have to take a temporary break from touring,” he continued. “It is always the hardest thing for me to ever disappoint my fans or postpone a show, but have no doubt I am working hard to accelerate my recovery and get back to performing soon.”

Bolton, who scored eight No. 1s on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart in the ’90s, experienced a career resurgence a decade ago, when he joined forces with comedy trio The Lonely Island for a Saturday Night Live digital short on 2011’s “Jack Sparrow.” It showed Bolton in a different, humorous light. “I think I shocked a bunch of people who thought I would never do something like that. It’s too irreverent,” he told Billboard in a 2023 interview. “I love the Lonely Island guys and what they were doing with Saturday Night Live. They worked with me: They were patient to create something that has their brand all over it but wouldn’t be insulting to my audience.”

Celebrating his 50th year of making music last year, Bolton, 70, released Spark of Light in July, his first album of original material in 14 years. 

Bolton, who appeared on The Masked Singer last year, concluded his post with an upbeat message: “I am beyond grateful for all the love and support you have so generously shown me through the years. Know that I’m keeping your positive messages in my heart, and I’ll give you more updates as soon as I can. Much love always, MB.”

05 Jan 2024

Corey Taylor Announces Cancellation of Solo Tour Due to ‘Mental & Physical Health’

Corey Taylor has cancelled his previously announced North American solo tour.

The Slipknot frontman took to Instagram on Friday (Jan. 5) to reveal the news, citing struggles with his mental and physical health. “For the past several months my mental and physical health have been breaking down, and I reached a place that was unhealthy for my family and I,” he wrote in his statement. “I know this decision will come as a shock to some and may be regarded as unpopular by others – but after taking a hard look at where I am and where I was going, I need to pull myself back and be home with my family for the time being. Those of you who bought tickets and VIP packages for this upcoming run will get a full refund.”

See his full statement here.

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The trek was scheduled to kick off on Feb. 3 in Toronto, Canada, and stretch through North American before concluding on March 3 in Omaha, Nebraska. Des Rocs and Jigsaw Youth were set as supporting acts.

Taylor completed European and North American tours in 2023 in support of his sophomore solo album, CMF2, which was released on September 15 under his own label imprint Decibel Cooper Recordings. With this album, Taylor told Audacy Check In that he “decided to up the stakes, the music is more expansive, there’s heavier stuff, there’s darker stuff it paints with the whole palate like the first album, but there’s not there, man. To me, it’s the best rock album of this year and next year. It’s that good.”

05 Jan 2024

Lewis Capaldi, The Game, Gabby Barrett, Green Day & More: What’s Your Favorite New Music Release of the Week? Vote!

With 2023 officially in the books, the new year will soon see holiday songs disappear from the Billboard charts to make way for new music — and the first new music Friday of 2024. This week’s offerings includes a diverse mix of tracks from Scottish crooner Lewis Capaldi, The Game, Gabby Barrett and more to kick off the first week of the year.

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Capaldi is in balladry mode on new single “Strangers,” which sees him stepping back into the familiar territory of his breakthrough hit single, “Someone You Loved.” The crooner’s signature tone, tinged with heartache, shines on the track as he sings of his departed lover. The track also pulls double duty and reignites his ongoing feud with Liam and Noel Gallagher, as it mentions him and the object of his affection once bonding over a mutual dislike of Oasis’ “Wonderwall” (“You say you hate this song… my dear, you’re not the only one”).

The Game ushered in the new year with the nine-track project Paisley Dreams, a collaboration with Big Hit, which finds Game coolly rapping over smart and structured production. The set follows last year’s The Truth Is in My Eyes, Big Hit’s first album after spending much of his adult life in prison.

Despite hailing from Pennsylvania, Barrett shows her love for the Lone Star State — a metaphor for the man she loves — in new single “You’re My Texas.” The country star passionately sings, “My home away from home/ You’re blue bonnets growin’ wild/ Boy, no matter where I roam/ You’re my Nacogdoches sky,” positioning it for engagement songs, wedding playlists and more.

The Last Dinner Party, Green Day and Liam Gallagher & John Squire also released new material this week, but which was your favorite? Vote in our poll below.