Music

26 Dec 2023

Taylor Swift Cheers on Travis Kelce at Chiefs-Raiders Game on Christmas Day

Taylor Swift spent Christmas morning cheering on her boyfriend Travis Kelce at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City as the Chiefs took on the Las Vegas Raiders.

About an hour before kickoff on Monday (Dec. 25), the pop superstar entered the Missouri stadium alongside a person dressed in a Santa Clause costume and wished onlookers a “Merry Christmas.” She was then joined in a suite by her parents, Scott and Andrea Swift, along with her brother Austin Swift and his girlfriend, Sydney Ness.

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In the spirit of the holiday, Swift donned a red Santa hat with the tight end’s jersey number — 87 — on the white trim. The “Anti-Hero” singer also rocked a festive look for the game, wearing a red sweater and black plaid skirt.

Swift wasn’t the only celebrity in attendance at the showdown, which found the Raiders defeating the Chiefs, 20-14. The game was also attended by Iowa basketball star Caitlin Clark, who won Collegiate Women’s athlete of the year. Brittany Mahomes and Sterling Skye Mahomes, the wife and daughter of Chiefs quarterback, were also seen at the event.

Swift and Kelce were spotted walking hand-in-hand after the game. Kansas City Star photojournalist Nick Wagner shared an image on his Instagram of the couple strolling through a hallway at Arrowhead Stadium.

“Spent my Christmas waiting for these two lovebirds,” Wagner wrote alongside the snapshot.

Last week, Mahomes opened up about what it was like for the Chiefs to witness their teammate begin a romance with one of the most famous women on the planet.

“At first, I feel like everybody kind of stayed away, let [Kelce] do what he was doing,” Mahomes said in a sit-down with CBS Mornings‘ Nate Burleson.

“Then he started bringing Taylor around and we realized how cool of a person she was,” he continued. “So for us, there was a couple jokes here and there at the beginning. But now, she’s just part of Chiefs Kingdom. She’s part of the team.”

26 Dec 2023

Beyoncé’s Childhood Home in Houston Burns on Christmas Morning

Beyoncé’s childhood home caught fire early on Christmas morning, though the family living there escaped safely.

The fire was reported at about 2 a.m. Monday (Dec. 25) and the Houston Fire Department arrived on the scene of the two-story brick house within three to five minutes, the Houston Chronicle reported.

“We had it contained in about 10 minutes,” Houston Fire Department District Chief Justin Barnes told the newspaper.

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Beyoncé Knowles’ family bought the home on the 2400 block of Rosedale in 1982 and Beyoncé lived there until she was 5 years old. She was seen taking photos of the property when she was in her hometown for her Renaissance World Tour.

The home in the historic Riverside Terrace neighborhood was built in 1946.

A message sent to Beyoncé’s publicist was not immediately returned late Monday.

The cause of the blaze was under investigation.

26 Dec 2023

Rolling Stones Roll to U.K. Christmas No. 1 With ‘Hackney Diamonds’

Hackney Diamonds are forever, it would seem, as the Rolling Stones return to No. 1 in the U.K.

The Stones’ latest album bumps 6-1 on the Official U.K. Albums Chart, published Friday, Dec. 22, for its second non-consecutive week at the top.

Featuring collaborations with Lady Gaga, Elton John Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney, and contributions from former bass player Bill Wyman and the group’s late drummer Charlie Watts, Hackney Diamonds (via Polydor) is the Stones’ first album of original material in 18 years– since A Bigger Bang, which peaked to No. 2 in 2005.

Following its release in October, the LP went straight to No. 1 for the rock legends’ 14th U.K. No. 1, by outselling the rest of the top 5 combined.

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“It’s a wonderful way to round off 2023,” the Stones say in a statement published by the Official Charts Company. “Thank you to everyone for listening to Hackney Diamonds. Have a very happy Christmas and New Year.”

The Christmas gift for the Stones also doubles-up as a late birthday present for guitarist Keith Richards, who turned 80 on Dec. 18.

Meanwhile, Michael Bublé’s Christmas (Reprise) holds No. 2 on the new chart, while Taylor Swift’s 1989 (Taylor’s Version) (via EMI) improves 4-3.

Cher brings some Christmas cheer to the latest tally with her Christmas (Warner Records) collection, which lifts 15-5 for a new peak position. Christmas features “DJ Play A Christmas Song,” which lifts 41-20 on the latest U.K. singles chart, an effort that sees the iconic entertainer become the first solo artist to achieve a top 40 hit with new material on the Official U.K. Singles Chart across seven consecutive decades, the Official Charts Company reports.

At 77 year and 7 months, Cher is also the oldest solo female performer to snag a top 40 U.K. single, besting previous record holder Shirley Bassey, who was 70 years, 4 months old when “The Living Tree” reached No. 37 in 2007.

26 Dec 2023

Wham’s ‘Last Christmas’ Finally Unwraps Christmas No. 1 In U.K.

The Whamageddon didn’t transpire in the U.K., as “Last Christmas” (Epic) finally claims the coveted Christmas No. 1 spot.

Wham’s holiday classic from 1984 holds at No. 1 on the Official U.K. Singles Chart, published Dec. 22, for its first Christmas-time stint at the summit.

According to the Official Charts Company, “Last Christmas” clocked up 13.3 million plays during the seven-day chart cycle – making it the most-streamed Christmas No. 1.

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It’s not the first time “Last Christmas” has reigned over the national tally; it first did so at the start of 2021, breaking a 36-year hoodoo, and returned to the top later in 2022.

Following its initial release, “Last Christmas” was famously beaten to the Christmas No. 1 by Band Aid’s “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” on which Wham’s co-founders George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley contributed.

With its latest feat, a full 39 years in the making, “Last Christmas” sets a new mark for the longest journey to the U.K. Christmas No. 1, the Official Charts Company reports.

Across its lifetime, the pop number has raked-in 5.34 million chart units, including 1.93 million sales and nearly 413 million streams, the OCC reports. It’s now the U.K.’s third biggest song of all time, behind Elton John’s “Something About the Way You Look Tonight” / “Candle in the Wind 1997” and “Do They Know It’s Christmas?,” respectively.

With Wham taking the glory, Britain’s Eurovision 2022 entrant Sam Ryder misses out, as his Amazon Music Original “You’re Christmas To Me” (EastWest/Rhino) lifts 10-2, while Mariah Carey‘s “All I Want For Christmas Is You” (Columbia) completes the podium.

Predictably, Christmas tunes dominate the latest survey. Ed Sheeran and Elton John’s former leader “Merry Christmas” (Atlantic/EMI) improves 6-5; The Pogues’ “Fairytale of New York” (Rhino) featuring the late Kirsty MacColl dips 5-6; while holiday favorites from Brenda Lee, Michael Buble, Shakin’ Stevens, Andy Williams, Kelly Clarkson, Dean Martin, Chris Rea and more impact the top 40.

Finally, Cher cracks the top 20 — and cracks a new record — with “DJ Play A Christmas Song” (Warner Records). The legendary entertainer’s Xmas effort lifts 41-20, for her 34th U.K. top 40 single. At 77 year and 7 months, Cher is the oldest solo female performer to snag a top 40 U.K. single, the OCC reports.

24 Dec 2023

Kevin Spacey Returns as Frank Underwood in Bizarre Tucker Carlson Interview: Watch

Kevin Spacey has resurfaced with another bizarre Christmas Eve video.

On Sunday (Dec. 24), the former House of Cards actor shared a seven-minute clip, titled “Being Frank With Tucker,” in which he once again reprises his role as the Netflix drama’s power-hungry politician Frank Underwood, this time sitting down for a faux interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson.

The strange sit-down begins with Carlson — who now has a show on X (formerly Twitter) — asking Spacey’s Underwood if he’d ever consider running for president in the upcoming 2024 election.

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“Well, that’s really a decision for the people, Tucker. It’s not something that I really think about or want to do,” Spacey answers in the character’s classic Southern drawl before turning to the camera to wish viewers a Merry Christmas.

“But I’ve always believed that nothing should be off the table in life or in art. I think we can both agree that we need to get some adults back in the room, so if that means taking on the chief executive role, well that’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make for this great nation.”

Later in the interview, Spacey-as-Underwood addresses being fired from Netflix in 2017 after the actor was accused of sexual assault by a number of men in the U.S. and England.

“It is bizarre that [Netflix] decided to publicly cut ties with me on allegations alone — allegations that have now been proven false,” Spacey says in character. “Because I don’t think there’s any question; Netflix exists because of me. I put them on the map and they tried to put me in the ground.”

In late July, Spacey was found not guilty of all nine charges he was facing in the U.K. In November, he was also found not liable in the New York civil case brought by U.S. actor Anthony Rapp, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Watch Spacey’s full Christmas Eve video with Carlson below.

24 Dec 2023

Lisandro Meza, One of the Biggest Names in Colombian Music, Dies at 86

Lisandro Meza, one of the biggest names in Colombian music, died on Saturday (Dec. 23) at the age of 86, almost three weeks after being hospitalized due to a stroke, informed the Specialized Clinic La Concepción in Sincelejo, in his native state of Sucre, Colombia, where he was.

“La Concepción regrets to report the sensitive death of maestro Lisandro Meza Márquez, minstrel of sabanera music, cumbia, porro, vallenato and disseminator of Colombian music to the world,” the clinic said in a statement signed by its manager, Guillermo Ruiz.

Meza’s family confirmed the passing of their “pillar” on the singer’s official account on X (formerly Twitter,) saying that “his love, wisdom and music will continue to inspire us,” and thanking everyone’s “support and condolences at this difficult time.” The Colombian Ministry of Culture highlighted that “his art embraced cumbia, porro, paseo and vallenato” and that “songs like ‘El Guayabo de la Ye’ and ‘El Hijo de Tuta’ will remain forever in our memory.”

Born on Sept. 26, 1937 in Los Palmitos, Meza became known in the 1950s with compositions that became popular in the Colombian Caribbean, according to El País. In 1965, he joined Los Corraleros de Majagual as an accordionist, a group in which he worked with other greats vallenato singers and songwriters such as Alfredo Gutiérrez and Calixto Ochoa. In 1969, he competed in the Festival de la Leyenda Vallenata and came in second place, after Nicolás “Colacho” Mendoza, but the attendees stated that Meza should have won, and nicknamed him since then “el Rey sin Corona” (“the King without a Crown”,) reports the same newspaper.

Over the decades, Meza recorded dozens of albums, of his own or with other groups, releasing hits such as “Senderito de Amor,” “El Macho,” “El Hombre Feliz,” “Ni que Estuviera Loco,” and many others.

“Maestro Lisandro Meza, on behalf of all the Colombian people, thank you for being born in this land. Until we meet again,” Carlos Vives wrote on his X account, where he also published three photographs of himself with the accordionist and musician.

Other Colombian artists expressed their sorrow for his passing. “Lamenting the death of maestro Lisandro Meza. Condolences to all his family and friends,” wrote Juanes. While Jorge Celedón tweeted: “Maestro #LizandroMeza, a great of Colombian musician, leaves us today. I feel enormous sadness for his departure […] I will always remember that noble hug and greeting every time we met.”

Meza was married for more than six decades to Luz Domínguez and, according to different media outlets, and he was the father of 16 children.

24 Dec 2023

Taylor Swift’s ‘1989 (Taylor’s Version)’ Back at No. 1 on Billboard 200

Taylor Swift’s 1989 (Taylor’s Version) rises 2-1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart (dated Dec. 30), marking the fourth nonconsecutive week atop the list for the set. It earned 136,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in the week ending Dec. 21 (up 25%) according to Luminate. The set, along with many of Swift’s titles, continues to benefit from vinyl sales encouraged by holiday shopping and promotions.

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1989 (Taylor’s Version) spent its first two weeks at No. 1 (Nov. 11-18), had another week in the lead on the Dec. 9 chart, and then bounces back to the top on the new chart.

Swift has a total of three albums in the top 10 on the new chart, as 1989 (Taylor’s Version) is joined by former No. 1s Midnights (7-3 with 75,000 – up 31%) and Lover (9-7; 60,000 – up 22%).

The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption as measured in equivalent album units, compiled by Luminate. Units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). Each unit equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album. The new Dec. 30, 2023-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on Dec. 27, one day later than normal due to the Christmas Day holiday on Dec. 25. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.

Nicki Minaj’s Pink Friday 2 falls to No. 2 with 100,000 equivalent album units (down 56%) after debuting atop the list a week ago. Michael Bublé’s former No. 1 Christmas climbs 5-4 (70,000; up 10%), Morgan Wallen’s chart-topping One Thing at a Time bumps 6-5 (just over 64,000; up 2%), and Drake’s former leader For All the Dogs dips 3-6 (64,000; down 6%).

Nat King Cole’s The Christmas Song ascends 11-8 (56,000 equivalent album units; up 17%), SZA’s former leader SOS falls 8-9 (54,000; up 2%), and Mariah Carey’s Merry Christmas returns to the top 10 for the first time this season, rising 12-10 (52,000; up 14%). Merry peaked at No. 3 in its initial chart run, on the Dec. 17, 1994-dated chart. This is the sixth consecutive season the album has revisited the top 10.

Luminate, the independent data provider to the Billboard charts, completes a thorough review of all data submissions used in compiling the weekly chart rankings. Luminate reviews and authenticates data. In partnership with Billboard, data deemed suspicious or unverifiable is removed, using established criteria, before final chart calculations are made and published.

24 Dec 2023

Bobbie Jean Carter, Sister of Nick and Aaron Carter, Dies at 41

Bobbie Jean Carter, the sister of Nick and Aaron Carter, has died. She was 41.

Bobbie Jean’s sister, Angel Carter, confirmed her sibling’s passing through Instagram on Sunday (Dec. 24).

“To my older sister Bobbie. You had a great sense of humor, and a lively spirit. Growing up, I was your baby, and you were my best friend,” she captioned a montage of childhood photos. “Life wasn’t fair to you, that I know. Sometimes, it feels like you didn’t have a shot, no matter what.”

Angel’s remembrance also referenced the substance abuse-related deaths of her sister Leslie, who died in January 2012 at age 25, and her twin brother, Aaron, who passed away in November 2022 at 34 years old.

“Experiencing innocence instead of being burdened by trauma, pain, and suffering is incredibly important for children, particularly at such a young age,” she continued. “I know why Leslie, Aaron, and now you ended up in the circumstances that you did. I share that pain we experienced during our childhood and I’m sorry you didn’t have an opportunity for a better life.”

The cause of Bobbie Jean’s death had not been provided at press time, but Angel asked her Instagram followers to “break down barriers” and “reduce stigmas” around mental health.

“The generational dysfunction stops now,” she wrote. “Please visit @onoursleevesofficial to learn more about how you can get involved, and how to be there for your loved ones.”

Bobbie Jean served as a wardrobe stylist and makeup artist during Aaron’s tours in the early 2000s, according to TMZ. She also appeared on the Carter family’s 2006 E! reality TV show, House of Carters, where her struggles with addiction and substance abuse were documented. Since then, she has led a relatively private life outside of the spotlight, but was arrested on alleged drug and theft charges earlier this year.

She died in Florida on Saturday morning (Dec. 23), TMZ reports, citing her mother, Jane Carter.

“I am in shock from learning of the sudden death of my daughter, Bobbie Jean, and I will need time to process the terrible reality of this happening for the third time,” Jane told the outlet, referencing the deaths of Bobbie Jean, Leslie and Aaron. “When I am able to think clearly, I’ll release a fuller statement, but until then, I would request to be left to grieve in private.”

She continued, “[H]owever deeply a parent feels the loss of a child, the suffering of a young child at the loss of a parent must be much greater. So, I would ask the sympathetic to say a prayer for my precious 8-year-old granddaughter Bella, who previously lost her father and is now also left without her mother.”

Bobbie Jean is survived by a daughter, Bella.

See Angel’s tribute to her sister below.

24 Dec 2023

BLACKPINK’s Jennie Begins ‘Solo Journey’ With New Label and Company OA

Jennie is ending 2023 with a major announcement.

On Sunday (Dec. 24), the BLACKPINK superstar shared with her nearly 83 million Instagram followers that she is launching a new label and company called OA.

“Hi, this is Jennie. This year was filled with many accomplishments, and I’m so thankful for all the love I’ve received,” the K-pop singer wrote on her Instagram Story. “I’m also about what’s to come, as I start my solo journey in 2024 with a company that I have established called OA. Please show lots of love for my new start with OA and of course BLACKPINK. Thank you.”

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Jennie also posted a black-and-white photo of herself, tagging OA’s new Instagram account, which had already gained about 850,000 followers as of press time on Sunday morning. OA’s page featured two images with a caption briefly explaining its mission.

“OA, which stands for ODD ATELIER, is a space that aims to create new things that attract attention in a different way from what is usual or expected,” the artist captioned an image of the company’s logo emblazoned on dark hoodies. “It is a label founded by artist JENNIE in November 2023.”

She didn’t elaborate further on her specific plans for the new venture.

In early December, YG Entertainment announced that the agency renewed its exclusive contract with all four members of BLACKPINK, sending the company’s stock soaring on news that its most successful act would remain with the agency.

BLACKPINK is to date the most successful K-pop girl group to have impacted the U.S. market. The four-piece headlined Coachella earlier this year, and in 2022 became the third K-pop group to top the Billboard 200 with its album Born Pink.

Jennie had some major accomplishments of her own in 2023. In addition to releasing long-awaited solo music, she made her acting debut in the HBO drama series The Idol and was named an honorary Member of the Order of the British Empire.

See Jennie’s OA announcements on Instagram below.

23 Dec 2023

Laura Lynch, Founding Member of The Dixie Chicks, Dies at 65: Report

Laura Lynch, a founding member of The Dixie Chicks, has reportedly died after being involved in a car accident in Texas. She was 65.

The musician was instantly killed on Friday (Dec. 22) after another vehicle slammed head-on into her car as it was attempting to pass another vehicle on Highway 62 outside of El Paso, Texas, according to TMZ.

The driver of the other car was reportedly transported to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Lynch was declared dead at the scene.

Lynch was a co-founder of The Dixie Chicks — who now go by The Chicks — alongside members Robin Lynn Macy, Martie Erwin and Emily Erwin in 1989.

Billboard has reached out to representatives of The Chicks for comment on Lynch’s passing.

The Texas-born artist initially served as the upright bass player for The Dixie Chicks and eventually took on the role of singer. She recorded three albums with country music group — Thank Heavens for Dale Evans (1990), Little Ol’ Cowgirl (1992) and Shouldn’t a Told You That (1993) — before leaving the country group in 1993. Two years after departing, she was replaced by Natalie Maines.

Lynch is survived by her husband, Mac Tull, and their daughter, TMZ reports.