Music

17 Jul 2023

Miranda Lambert Pauses Show to Call Out Fans Taking Selfies: ‘It’s Pissing Me Off’

It all begins with a song — and according to Miranda Lambert, that’s where the focus should stay.

Lambert had just begun to perform her 2018 ACM song of the year winner “Tin Man” as part of her current Miranda Lambert: Velvet Rodeo The Las Vegas Residency on Saturday night when she noticed a few ladies near the stage who seemed more intent on taking selfies rather than listening to Lambert’s music.

“I’m gonna stop right here for a second, I’m sorry,” Lambert told the audience gathered at Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino at Zappos Theater. “These girls are worried about their selfie and not listening to the song.”

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She added, “It’s pissing me off a bit. Sorry, I don’t like it. At all. We’re here to hear some country music tonight. I’m singing some country d–n music.”

After motioning for the girls to put their phones away, she asked the crowd, “Shall we start again?” She restarted the song as the audience cheered.

Prior to launching her Las Vegas residency in September 2022, Lambert said, “When you’ve been touring as long as I have, there’s something really creative about imagining a residency in a city like Las Vegas. I’ve had a lot of fun designing our sets, merchandise and clothing and boot lines – and even my place on Broadway in Nashville, Casa Rosa – so, this opportunity allows me to lean in a bit more into that side of myself and think about how to really bring country music to life in this room. I think everyone will like what we’ve dreamed up. I’m really excited about this!”

In addition to the residency, Lambert recently launched her first cookbook, Y’all Eat Yet? Welcome to the Pretty B*tchin’ Kitchen. She also performed during CMA Fest in June, welcoming Avril Lavigne, Elle King and Leon Bridges to join her at various points during her performance.

17 Jul 2023

North West & TLC’s Chilli Finally Meet After Viral Halloween Costume: ‘Dreams Do Come True’

North West has finally met one of her idols. On Sunday, Kim Kardashian shared a carousel of photos of her 10-year-old daughter meeting TLC‘s Chilli to her Instagram.

In the pictures, Chilli — real name: Rozonda Thomas — wears a black T-shirt and camouflage cargo pants and stoops down to North’s height to embrace her for a hug. In a second photo, the pair hold two identical dogs and flash happy smiles to the camera. “Dreams do come true @therealchilli,” Kardashian captioned the post.

Fans in the comments section remarked at how lovely it was that North and Chilli had the chance to meet, while Khloe Kardashian and Kris Jenner had a few words of their own. “What!!!!! And you didn’t call me to come over!!!!!” Khloe wrote, later adding, “Oh you’re in trouble.” Jenner, meanwhile, said, “This is so cute!!!”

The meeting between North and Chilli has been in the making for a while — the photo carousel also featured photos of when North and her two friends dressed up like TLC in from the group’s iconic “No Scrubs” video for Halloween last year. North was Chilli in the group.

At the time, the trio’s TLC costume got love from T-Boz and Chilli on Instagram. T-Boz shared the video of North and her friends singing along to “No Scrubs” to her page and wrote, “Ayyyyyyyeeeee. Okayyyyyy PrettyGirls … #NorthWest And Her Girls Smashed #TLC This Halloween @kimkardashian #demTLCGirls #DemTLCbabies Love The Love.” Chilli expressed a similar sentiment in her repost: “#demtlcbabies nailed it!!!,” she gushed on Instagram.

See photos from North and Chilli’s meeting below.

17 Jul 2023

Taylor Swift’s ‘Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)’ Debuts at No. 1 on Top Country Albums Chart

Taylor Swift’s Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) launches at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart (dated July 22), while all 22 of the re-recorded set’s songs hit Hot Country Songs, breaking her own record for the most simultaneously-charted titles on the survey among women.

Released July 7, the set, the third of Swift’s planned six re-recorded albums, arrives with 716,000 equivalent album units earned, with 507,000 in traditional album sales, in the U.S. in the week ending July 13, according to Luminate.

Both figures represent the largest week by those metrics for any album in 2023 and the best since Swift’s last studio set, Midnights, opened with 1.58 million units, of which 1.14 million were in album sales (as reflected on the Nov. 5-dated Billboard 200 chart).

Swift earns her eighth No. 1 on Top Country Albums, as well as her 12th leader on the all-genre Billboard 200; on the latter list, she surpasses Barbra Streisand for the most No. 1s among women.

Taylor Swift’s Career No. 1s on Top Country Albums:
Taylor Swift, No. 1 for 24 weeks, beginning Aug. 4, 2007
Beautiful Eyes (EP), one week, Aug. 2, 2008
Fearless, 35 weeks, beginning Nov. 29, 2008
Speak Now, 13 weeks, beginning Nov. 13, 2010
Red, 16 weeks, beginning Nov. 10, 2012
Fearless (Taylor’s Version), three weeks, beginning April 24, 2021
Red (Taylor’s Version), seven weeks, beginning Nov. 27, 2021
Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), one week to date, July 22, 2023

Swift’s cumulative weeks at No. 1 on Top Country Albums now swell to a milestone 100, the most among women (ahead of Shania Twain’s 97). Since the chart began in 1964, Swift has the fifth-most weeks at No. 1 among all acts, after Garth Brooks (173), Alabama (125), Morgan Wallen (117) and Willie Nelson (107).

Prior to the debut of Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), the largest week of 2023 by equivalent album units belonged to Wallen’s One Thing at a Time, which arrived with 501,000 units (March 18).

Also that week, Wallen lobbed nine tracks into the top 10 of the streaming-, airplay- and sales-based Hot Country Songs chart, the most for an act in a single week since the ranking became an all-encompassing genre survey in 1958.

With seven songs from Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) debuting in the top 10 of the latest Hot Country Songs chart, Swift boasts the second-most top 10s in a single frame. (She has now scored 36 career Hot Country Songs top 10s.)

“I Can See You (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault)” flies onto Hot Country Songs the highest, at No. 3, with 24.7 million official U.S. streams, 361,000 in airplay audience and 4,000 sold.

Taylor Swift on the July 22 Hot Country Songs Chart:
Rank, Title
No. 3, “I Can See You (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault)”
No. 4, “Mine (Taylor’s Version)”
No. 5, “Back to December (Taylor’s Version)”
No. 7, “Enchanted (Taylor’s Version)”
No. 8, “Sparks Fly (Taylor’s Version)”
No. 9, “Dear John (Taylor’s Version)”
No. 10, “Better Than Revenge (Taylor’s Version)”
No. 13, “Castles Crumbling (Taylor’s Version),” feat. Hayley Williams
No. 14, “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)”
No. 15, “When Emma Falls in Love (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault)”
No. 16, “Electric Touch (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault),” feat. Fall Out Boy
No. 17, “Mean (Taylor’s Version)”
No. 18, “Foolish One (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault)”
No. 20, “The Story of Us (Taylor’s Version)”
No. 21, “Timeless (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault)”
No. 22, “Haunted (Taylor’s Version)”
No. 24, “Long Live (Taylor’s Version)”
No. 26, “Last Kiss (Taylor’s Version)”
No. 27, “Never Grow Up (Taylor’s Version)”
No. 28, “Innocent (Taylor’s Version)”
No. 29, “Ours (Taylor’s Version)”
No. 31, “Superman (Taylor’s Version)”

Swift thus charts 22 entries simultaneously on Hot Country Songs, a new personal-best for her. She tops the 21 titles that she tallied on the Nov. 27, 2021, chart, when Red (Taylor’s Version) opened at No. 1 on Top Country Albums and the Billboard 200. (Wallen logged a record 35 tracks on the March 18 Hot Country Songs chart.)

Notably, thanks to debuts at Nos. 13 and 16, respectively, pop-rock mainstays Hayley Williams, of Paramore, and Fall Out Boy each make their first appearances on Hot Country Songs.

Concurrently, Swift adds seven top 10s on Country Streaming Songs, pushing her career total to 30. On Country Digital Song Sales, she nets three new top 10s, upping her career count to 45. Those are the most among all artists on both lists; Wallen has the second-most top 10s on Country Streaming Songs (25) and Blake Shelton is the runner-up on Country Digital Song Sales (37). (Country Digital Song Sales started in January 2010 and Country Streaming Songs began in April 2013.)

17 Jul 2023

John Legend Shares Adorable Selfie With ‘The Boys’

Saturdays are for the boys! John Legend took to Instagram on Saturday (July 15) to share a series of adorable snaps with his two sons, five-year-old Miles Theodore and one-month-old Wren Alexander.

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In the first photo, Legend is smiling into the camera with his arm wrapped around Miles, who is seen holding his newborn brother. In the other snaps, Miles is seen checking out his hair and baby Wren gives a heart-melting smirk to the camera. Check out the photos here.

In June, Legend and his wife Chrissy Teigen announced they welcomed their fourth child, a baby boy, via surrogate. With the process of IVF — which the couple also employed when becoming pregnant with Miles and his older sister Luna — Teigen became pregnant with baby girl Esti, whom the couple welcomed in January.

Teigen revealed in an Instagram post that around the time she became pregnant, the couple met their surrogate, a woman named Alexandra who has since become a close friend. “Just minutes before midnight on June 19th, I got to witness the most beautiful woman, my friend, our surrogate, give birth amidst a bit of chaos, but with strength and pure joy and love,” Teigen wrote, thanking Alexandra for the “incredible gift.”

17 Jul 2023

Drake Is Teaming Up With Dave’s Hot Chicken to Give Away Tickets to It’s All a Blur Tour

Missed out on a chance to see Drake live in concert? You’re in luck, as the rapper has teamed up with Dave’s Hot Chicken — a company he also invested in — to give fans a second chance at scoring tickets to see him on tour this year.

“Drake is a global superstar, and we’re thrilled to have him as an investor,” said Bill Phelps, CEO of Dave’s Hot Chicken. “Drake invested because he loved the food and the founders’ story of starting Dave’s with $900 in a parking lot. We hope Drake fans across the country will visit us this summer and experience the taste that made him excited to invest in the brand. And, when they do, they’ll have a chance to win tickets to watch Drake in concert during his It’s All a Blur tour.”

In order to qualify for tickets, fans need to download the Dave’s Hot Chicken app and opt in to the contest, where they will be asked to choose their preferred concert location and date to receive an entry for their requested concert drawing. No purchase is necessary to enter, but fans looking to earn multiple entries can do so by making purchases at Dave’s locations while logged into the loyalty program. Each purchase equates to more entries.

Cities that will participate in the ticket giveaway include New York City (July 23), Washington, D.C. (July 28), Milwaukee (Aug. 3), Los Angeles (Aug.13, 15, 16, 21, 22), San Francisco (Aug. 18), Seattle (Aug. 25), Las Vegas (Sept. 1, 2), Glendale, Ariz. (Sept. 5), Denver (Sept. 8), Dallas (Sept. 14), Houston (Sept. 17), Charlotte, N.C. (Sept. 22), Miami (Sept. 28), Nashville (Oct. 2) and the rapper’s hometown of Toronto (Oct. 5).

The It’s All a Blur Tour is Drake’s first headlining run since the 2018 Aubrey & The Three Migos tour.

17 Jul 2023

Musicians at Wimbledon 2023

Wimbledon 2023 wrapped on Sunday (July 16), and the music stars were out in full force to enjoy thrilling matches at the world’s oldest tennis tournament. This year’s Wimbledon Championships, the 136th edition, featured some stunning victories. Twenty-year-old Carlos Alcaraz of Spain won the gentlemen’s singles title, beating renowned tennis star Novak Djokovic of Serbia. Markéta Vondroušová of the Czech Republic won the ladies’ singles title, beating Ons Jabeur of Tunisia, becoming the first unseeded female player to win the singles title.

Alcaraz and Djokovic’s nearly five-hour match was an instant classic Wimbledon moment that captivated the attention of one of the most star-studded crowds of the year. The Wimbledon audience featured royals (King Felipe VI of Spain; Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales; Princess Maria-Olympia of Greece and Denmark), former champions (Andy Murray, Neal Skupski, etc.), actors (Emmy nominee Idris Elba, James Bond star Daniel Craig, Bridgerton star Jonathan Bailey), musicians (Ariana Grande, Stormzy, Nick Jonas) and more.

It’s been a busy Wimbledon for tennis’ brightest stars, both on and off the court. Just four days into the tournament, Olympian Naomi Osaka welcomed her first child, a baby girl, with Grammy-nominated rap star Cordae. “Well that was a cool little intermission, now back to your regularly scheduled program,” she joked in an Instagram caption on July 13, complete with emojis of a tennis ball, a peace sign and a pair of pink hearts.

Like many tennis tournaments, the fashion was just as enrapturing as the athleticism on display. From Priyanka Chopra-Jonas’ floral-inspired Victoria Beckham dress to Issa Rae’s Barbie-evoking bubblegum pink mini dress, the stars were dressed to the nines.

See which musicians stunned at Wimbledon 2023.

17 Jul 2023

Tina Knowles-Lawson Gushes Over Blue Ivy Joining Beyoncé’s Renaissance Tour: ‘She Really Worked Hard’

From show-stopping vocals to eye-popping choreography and production, Beyoncé‘s Renaissance World Tour is one of the grandest shows happening right now. In the midst of all the show’s opulent elements stands one special surprise for select dates: a dance performance by Grammy winner Blue Ivy, the eldest daughter of the superstar and husband Jay-Z, and grandma Tina Knowles-Lawson couldn’t be prouder.

“Well, this is a heels family. You’re trained early to walk in heels,” Knowles-Lawson, mother to Beyoncé and grandmother to Blue Ivy, told People. “She’s having the time of her life, and I couldn’t be more proud of her because she really worked hard.”

Blue Ivy, the second-youngest Grammy winner in history, seamlessly fit into Beyoncé’s crew of seasoned dancers, featuring ballroom powerhouse Honey Balenciaga and renowned dancer-choreography Aliya Janell.

At the tour’s Paris stop (May 26), Blue surprised the sold-out stadium with some dazzling dance moves set to a pair of her mother’s most empowering anthems: “My Power” and “Black Parade,” both from 2019’s The Lion King: The Gift (Deluxe Edition). Blue’s flawless execution of the “My Power” choreography went viral and sparked a dance trend on TikTok.

Knowles-Lawson, a credited costume designer for the Renaissance World Tour, told the publication, “She is 11 years old, and she had one week to prepare, and she’s just getting better and better. So I’m the proud grandma, always.”

Blue is the eldest Carter child; she is the big sister to 6-year-old twins Rumi and Sir Carter. According to her grandmother, the tween’s confidence has soared “to the sky” since joining the Renaissance Tour. The young dancer made her debut on the tour’s North American leg at the Philadelphia show on July 12.

Blue Ivy has earned one entry on the Billboard Hot 100: 2019’s “Brown Skin Girl” (with Beyoncé, Wizkid & SAINt JN), which won the 2020 Grammy Award for Best Music Video and peaked at No. 76.

17 Jul 2023

Jerry Bradley, Longtime Nashville Executive & Country Music Hall of Fame Member, Dies at 83

Music executive and Country Music Hall of Fame member Jerry Owen Bradley died Monday (July 17) in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee. He was 83.

Born in Nashville on Jan. 30, 1940, Bradley was part of the illustrious Bradley family, who played an indelible role in creating and shaping Nashville’s music industry and Music Row area.

Bradley’s father was music producer Owen Bradley while his uncle was studio musician Harold Bradley, who together shaped Nashville’s Music Row as a music business town and architected the “Nashville Sound.” Bradley’s wife of 42 years, Connie Bradley, died in 2021 at age 75; she had served as the head of ASCAP Nashville for more than three decades. Bradley’s sister, Patsy Bradley, previously served as assistant vp at BMI.

Jerry Bradley got his start in the music industry through Forrest Hills Music, a publishing company he launched with his uncle Harold. He soon began engineering and producing records at the Bradley’s Barn studio, which he and his father owned in Mt. Juliet; Bradley’s clients as an engineer included Loretta Lynn, Roy Clark, Gordon Lightfoot, The Who and more.

Given that his father Owen had produced enduring, legendary hits for artists including Patsy Cline, Kitty Wells, Conway Twitty and Brenda Lee while transforming Decca/MCA Records in Nashville into a dominant operation, Jerry sought to make his own way in the industry. He approached Chet Atkins for a job at RCA, where he served as staff producer from 1970 to 1973. Atkins later handpicked Bradley to succeed him as vp of Nashville operations — a role he held from 1973 to 1983.

While at RCA, Bradley worked with artists and on albums that shaped the fabric of country music. Inspired by the success of albums including Nelson’s groundbreaking 1975 set Red Headed Stranger, Bradley began developing a compilation project using the “Outlaw” moniker that included music from Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Jessi Colter and Tompall Glaser.

“We’d been working on Waylon. He was selling about 250,000 albums, which at that time, was fairly good,” Bradley said during an interview with the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2012. “But Willie had Red Headed Stranger and he was selling a million on Columbia. Jessi had ‘I’m Not Lisa.’ Waylon, we just couldn’t get him over the hill and I had [a] Time Life set of books on the old west and we looked at it and all these things were happening. Hazel Smith, who was working for Tompall, she used the word ‘Outlaw’ first and [when] you would talk about the Outlaws, that’s what she was talking about. I got wind of it, and I picked up this old Time Life Western thing and it had a picture of an old wanted poster on it and I thought, ‘Man, that would make a good album cover for the Outlaws.’”

In addition to coming up with the album’s eventual title, Wanted! The Outlaws, Bradley was influential in its marketing, including by modeling its vintage-style cover after that Old West “wanted” poster. Spurred by the Jennings/Nelson duet “Good Hearted Woman,” Wanted! The Outlaws became the first platinum-selling country album certified by the Recording Industry Association of America and furthered the notion of country music as a major commercial force.

At RCA, Bradley also signed hitmakers including Alabama, Ronnie Milsap, Steve Wariner, Earl Thomas Conlee and Gary Stewart. Additionally, he produced No. 1 singles and albums for RCA artist Charley Pride, including the album Charley Pride Sings Heart Songs, as well as hits for Dave and Sugar, Dottie West and Jimmy Dean.

After Bradley left RCA in 1983, the Gaylord Corporation (which had acquired Opryland) bought the Acuff-Rose music publishing company and named Bradley vp of Opryland USA and GM of the Opryland Music Group, which owned the Acuff-Rose publishing catalogs. During his tenure, Bradley brought in new staffers and song pluggers as well as hit writers and artists including Dean Dillon, Casey Beathard and Kenny Chesney, whom Bradley brought to Acuff-Rose in 1992.

“Jerry Bradley signed me to Acuff-Rose when I was a kid. He had a profound and unmeasurable impact on my life,” said Chesney in a statement. “But not just in my life…he helped change the lives of so many people that had a song in their heart. Jerry’s impact on our creative community will be felt for years.”

“Jerry never once called himself a ‘mentor’ but every day since the summer of 1988, when he hired me at Acuff-Rose, he has mentored me,” said Universal Music Publishing Group Nashville CEO Troy Tomlinson in a statement. “I will deeply miss him and the place he has occupied in my life and in my heart.”

During his more than five decades in music, Bradley served as president of the Country Music Association (1974-1975) and became a charter alumnus of Leadership Music; he also served on the Fan Fair committee from 1970 to 2000, during which time the festival grew into CMA Fest. For 20 of those years, Bradley served as either chairman or co-chairman of the committee. During his last year on the committee, the event moved to Adelphia Coliseum (now known as Nissan Stadium), home to the Tennessee Titans in Nashville.

“Today we lost a Country Music Hall of Famer and business icon who was instrumental in the careers of dozens of artists,” Country Music Association CEO Sarah Trahern said in a statement. “Jerry loved Country Music just as much as he lived it. His reputation preceded him and personally, I remember several times in my career being nervous to get Jerry’s blessing on a project or program. However, I quickly realized his bark was not as bad as I’d imagined. Jerry’s deep passion for our business will be greatly missed. My deepest condolences go out to his friends and family during this difficult time.”

Bradley was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2019, making him the third Bradley to be bestowed with that honor after his father Owen and his uncle Harold.

During his induction speech, Bradley told the audience, “This business has given me a wonderful life. I’m grateful for the people I’ve met, the songs I’ve heard and the part I played.”

Today, two more generations of Bradleys work on Nashville’s Music Row, including Bradley’s son, Clay Bradley (vp at BMI Nashville), grandson John Bradley (creative director at Eclipse Music Group) and granddaughter Lillian Grace Bradley (social media marketing manager at Easy Eye Sound).

Bradley was predeceased by his parents, Owen Bradley and Katherine Bradley; his uncles Harold Bradley, Charlie Bradley and Bobby Bradley; his aunt Ruby Strange; his wife Connie Bradley, and the mother of his two children, Gwynn Hastings Kellam. He is survived by his sister Patsy Bradley; his children Leigh Jankiv (Rob LeBlanc) and Clay Bradley (Sara); his grandchildren Josh Jankiv (Ashley), Eli Jankiv, Emma Jankiv (Matt Acott) John Bradley and Lillian Grace Bradley; and five great-grandchildren.

A celebration of life will be held at Cedar Creek Yacht Club in Mt. Juliet on Sept. 10 at 4 p.m.

17 Jul 2023

Lindsay Lohan Gives Birth to First Child With Husband Bader Shammas

Lindsay Lohan is a mom! The singer-actress has given birth to her first child with husband Bader Shammas, her rep confirms to Billboard.

The newborn is a “beautiful, healthy son named Luai,” the rep says. “The family is over the moon in love.”

The actress first announced her surprise pregnancy in March. At the time, she shared a photo of a white onesie featuring the words “coming soon,” and tagged financier Shammas in the post. “We are blessed and excited!” she captioned the post.

After announcing that the couple was expecting, the actress said in a statement to TMZ, “We are very excited for our new family member to arrive and we are looking forward to this next chapter of our lives!”

Days before giving birth, the “Rumors” singer showed off her baby bump and the little one’s nursery. In snaps in an Instagram carousel post, the star — glowing in a long, white knit dress, her hand on her bump — stands in front of a brown and white crib. The nursery walls are painted in a beachy theme, with a sailboat on the blue water, birds flying and the sun shining. “So excited to show you my nursery & the collection I designed with @nestigbaby! Everything is inspired by the beach and is so peaceful and playful ?,” she captioned her post.

Lohan and Shammas announced their engagement in November 2021, and confirmed In July 2022 that she was married. “You found me and knew that I wanted to find happiness and grace, all at the same time,” the Freaky Friday actress captioned a photo of the couple at the time. “I am stunned that you are my husband. My life and my everything. Every woman should feel like this everyday.”

17 Jul 2023

Ariana Grande’s ‘Into You’ Music Video Reaches 1 Billion YouTube Views

It’s been seven years since Ariana Grande unveiled her club-ready hit “Into You” off her 2016 album Dangerous Woman, and the enduring hit has reached a new milestone. The music video for the track crossed the one billion views mark on YouTube.

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Upon its release in 2016, “Into You” climbed to No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart. Over the course of her impressive career, Grande has notched a whopping 73 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart. Of those hits, 20 made the top 10 and seven topped the chart. The superstar’s first leader on the track was her 2018 breakup song, “Thank U, Next,” before snagging two more solo No. 1s with “7 Rings” and “Positions.”

She also topped the tally with a number of collaborations, including “Rain on Me” with Lady Gaga, “Stuck With U” with Justin Bieber and her two team-ups with The Weeknd, “Save Your Tears” and “Die For You.”

In other Grande news, the singer has reportedly split from husband Dalton Gomez after two years of marriage. According to TMZ, who was first to report the news, the couple has been separated since January and are planning to legally end their marriage. People also reports that the pair went their separate ways earlier this year.

Reminisce and rewatch Grande’s “Into You” music video below.