Music

24 Feb 2023

Miley Cyrus’ Fans Have Theories About the New Countdown Clock on Her Website

Miley Cyrus quietly dropped a new countdown onto her website Friday (Feb. 24) and promptly sent fans buzzing with anticipation.

The clock will end on Monday (Feb. 27), leading Smilers to speculate that something new is coming down the pipeline from their queen, even if they’re not quite sure what it could be. “What is the new Miley Cyrus countdown for? Let’s bet,” one fan tweeted alongside a poll with several different options, including a new single or tour announcement.

“A countdown for ENDLESS SUMMER VACATION tracklist would be a good idea…,” another user suggested, while a third speculated that the surprise could be a remix of her hit single “Flowers” featuring Bruno Mars.

Speaking of “Flowers,” the Endless Summer Vacation lead single is currently spending its fifth consecutive week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Additionally, the empowering anthem recently notched Cyrus her third leader on the Pop Airplay chart (dated Feb. 25), becoming the fastest song to reach No. 1 on the chart since 2016 when Justin Timberlake’s “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” made the same leap to the top.

Once it arrives on March 10, Endless Summer Vacation will serve as Cyrus’ eighth studio album and follow-up to 2020’s Plastic Hearts, which bowed at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and featured singles “Midnight Sky,” “Prisoner” with Dua Lipa and “Angel Like You.” In the interim, she also released her 2022 live album Attention: Miley Live.

Check out the countdown on Cyrus’ website here and scroll through some of the fan theories as to what it could mean below.

24 Feb 2023

Luke Combs’ New Song ‘Joe’ Addresses Those Struggling With Alcohol Addiction

Reigning CMA entertainer of the year Luke Combs‘ new song “Joe” speaks to themes of alcohol addiction and sobriety.

“Joe” is featured on the singer-songwriter’s upcoming album, Gettin’ Old (out March 24), and was written by Combs, Erik Dylan and James Slater.

Combs posted a note on Instagram, detailing what the song means to him.

“There have been some folks in my family that have struggled with alcoholism and addiction through the years,” Combs wrote. “I’ve got buddies who live a sober lifestyle, and I’m sure y’all know someone who has struggled with these type of things, or maybe you, yourself do. This song is really important to me for that reason.”

Combs also spoke to the longstanding history of drinking songs as a bedrock of country music and its potential impact those struggling with alcohol dependency.

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“Our genre has so many songs about drinking and partying, hell, I’m probably one of the worst culprits of it,” he said in his note. “There’s nothing wrong with that I don’t think, but sometimes I wonder what someone in the crowd who doesn’t drink, or struggles with addiction, is thinking or feeling when there’s thousands of people around them screaming ‘Beer Never Broke My Heart’ or ‘1, 2 Many.’

“I’ve always wanted a song for those people to have for themselves,” said, adding, “to have a song they can sing at the top of their lungs and feel like they’re not forgotten.”

Gettin’ Old follows Combs’ 2022 album Growin’ Up and includes songs such as his recent release “Love You Anyway” as well as a cover of Tracy Chapman’s 1988 hit “Fast Car.” Another fan-favorite, “5 Leaf Clover,” will debut on St. Patrick’s Day on March 17.

24 Feb 2023

Cher’s ‘Burlesque’ Co-Star Alan Cumming Is ‘All For’ Her Romance With Alexander Edwards

Cher‘s relationship with 37-year-old Alexander “A.E.” Edwards has raised some eyebrows online, but the singer’s Burlesque co-star Alan Cumming is all for the “Believe” singer soaking up her bliss.

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On Thursday’s episode of Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen, the Scottish actor shared his full support for his friend’s romantic endeavors.

“I haven’t spoken to Cher for a while, actually, but I love her and I’m all for her getting some action,” Cumming said when asked by fans of the show for his opinion of Cher’s love life and her 40-year age gap with Edwards.

Cher acknowledged that her and Edwards’ age gap might seem a little odd to some, writing on Twitter on Nov. 24, “On paper This Looks strange (Even 2 ME) A.E Says love [heart emoji] Doesn’t Know Math.” And in December, Cher went into further detail about her love for Edwards during an appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show.

“On paper it’s kind of ridiculous, but in real life we get along great,” she said during her appearance on the daytime show. “He’s fabulous, and I don’t give men qualities that they don’t deserve. He’s very kind. He’s very smart. He’s very talented, and he’s really funny. And I think he’s quite handsome.” 

Things between Cher and Edwards seem to be going strong. To celebrate the arrival of the new year, the veteran singer posted a sweet snap of Edwards giving her a loving kiss on the cheek. “Happy New Year Daddy,” she captioned the photo.

See Cumming’s response to Cher’s romance in the video above.

24 Feb 2023

Parker McCollum Gets a ‘Handle On’ Country Airplay Chart’s Top 10

Parker McCollum banks his third consecutive career-opening top 10 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart, as “Handle on You” rises from No. 11 to No. 9 on the survey dated March 4.

In the week ending Feb. 23, the track increased by 7% to 19.8 million in audience, according to Luminate.

McCollum wrote the song with Monty Criswell, and Jon Randall produced it. “Handle” is the lead single from McCollum’s album Never Enough, due May 12.

The 30-year-old McCollum, who hails from Conroe, Texas, follows his two Country Airplay No. 1s: “To Be Loved by You” led last March and his rookie entry “Pretty Heart” reigned in December 2020, each for one week.

On the streaming-, airplay- and sales-based Hot Country Songs chart (dated Feb. 25), “Handle” held at No. 16, after reaching No. 14. It drew 5 million official U.S. streams (up 3%) and sold 1,000 downloads Feb. 10-16.

Hold That ‘Thought’

Morgan Wallen’s “Thought You Should Know” rents the Country Airplay penthouse for a second week, up 4% to 34.4 million impressions.

The song, which became Wallen’s eighth Country Airplay leader on the Feb. 25-dated list, is his fourth to rule for multiple frames. “You Proof,” which dominated for 10 weeks starting in October, is the longest-reigning song in the history of the chart, which launched in January 1990.

Meanwhile, of the five songs that have ascended to No. 1 on Country Airplay so far in 2023, “Thought” marks the third multi-week leader, following Nate Smith’s “Whiskey on You” (two weeks, February) and Jordan Davis’ “What My World Spins Around” (two, January).

Meanwhile, Wallen’s “Last Night” debuts at No. 47 on Country Airplay (1.5 million, up 246%), as well as at No. 40 on Pop Airplay. That track, “Thought” and “You Proof” all preview his 36-song album One Night at a Time, due March 3. “Last Night,” which has topped Hot Country Songs for two weeks running, is now being promoted to pop radio, while “One Thing at a Time” is Wallen’s next country radio single, with promotion starting March 13.

24 Feb 2023

Five Finger Death Punch Earns 10th Straight Mainstream Rock Airplay No. 1

Five Finger Death Punch adds to its record streak of No. 1s on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Airplay, as “Welcome to the Circus” jumps from No. 2 to the summit on the March 4-dated survey.

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The song is the Ivan Moody-fronted band’s 10th No. 1 in a row, the longest run of leading consecutive entries in the history of Mainstream Rock Airplay, which began in 1981.

Each of the band’s entries has ruled the chart starting with “Sham Pain,” which led for a week in 2018.

In all, Five Finger Death Punch now boasts 14 Mainstream Rock Airplay No. 1s, giving the group sole possession of the third-most leaders in the chart’s history. Only Shinedown (18) and Three Days Grace (17) have more.

Most No. 1s, Mainstream Rock Airplay:
18, Shinedown
17, Three Days Grace
14, Five Finger Death Punch
13, Van Halen
12, Godsmack
11, Disturbed
11, Foo Fighters
11, Metallica
10, Tom Petty (solo and with the Heartbreakers)
10, Volbeat

Five Finger Death Punch first crowned Mainstream Rock Airplay with the two-week No. 1 “Coming Down” in 2012.

Concurrently, “Circus” leaps 13-10 on the all-rock-format, audience-based Rock & Alternative Airplay chart with 2.8 million audience impressions, up 11%, Feb. 17-23, according to Luminate. It’s the band’s sixth top 10 and first since “Afterlife,” which peaked at No. 8 last July.

“Circus” ranked at No. 14 on the latest multi-metric Hot Hard Rock Songs survey (dated Feb. 25). In addition to its radio airplay, it earned 714,000 official U.S. streams in the Feb. 10-16 tracking week.

24 Feb 2023

Paris Hilton Reveals She Had an Abortion in Her 20s: ‘I Was a Kid and I Was Not Ready For That’

Paris Hilton said in a new interview that she had an abortion long before welcoming her first child last month.

“This was also something that I didn’t want to talk about because there was so much shame around that,” the “Stars Are Blind” singer told Glamour UK of her decision to have an abortion when she became pregnant in her early 20s. “I was a kid and I was not ready for that.”

In her cover story with the British magazine, the heiress also talked about the ramifications of the 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision by the Supreme Court that turned over Roe v. Wade after nearly 50 years. “There’s just so much politics around it and all that, but it’s a woman’s body… Why should there be a law based on that?” she said. “It’s your body, your choice and I really believe in that. It’s mind-boggling to me that they’re making laws about what you do with your reproductive health, because if it were the other way around with the guys, it would not be this way at all.”

Hilton also mentioned during the interview that she was “traumatized” by witnessing a birth while filming The Simple Life. As such, she decided she would have a child by using a surrogate, saying, “But I want a family so bad, it’s just the physical part of doing it. I’m just so scared… childbirth and death are the two things that scare me more than anything in the world.”

Earlier this week, Hilton revealed her newborn son’s name, Phoenix Barron Hilton Reum, for the first time in an episode of her podcast, This Is Paris. Her Glamour UK profile, meanwhile, included the first photos of the adorable baby boy, whose birth was announced in January. “Our whole entire world,” she captioned the sweet pictures, reposting them on her personal Instagram account.

24 Feb 2023

Niall Horan Gets a Dose of Reality in ‘Heaven’ Music Video: Watch

Niall Horan‘s music video for “Heaven” has arrived. On Friday (Feb. 24), the One Direction alum dropped a visual to accompany his new track, following the song’s Feb. 17 release.

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The video kicks off with Horan in a room with red drapes as he strums the notes of the track and sings the song, with a female drummer backing him up. But things are not entirely what they seem, as the room opens up to reveal a completely open ceiling. Horan then leaves and ends up in a crowded room filled with partygoers, who dance to the track.

The next room Horan finds himself in looks just like heaven. “Doesn’t get, doesn’t get better than, better than this/ God only knows where this could go/ And even if our love starts to go out of control/ And you let me go up in flames/ Heaven won’t be the same,” Horan sings on the track’s chorus, as the beautiful paradise filled with green hills and flowers turns out to be completely fake.

“Heaven” is the lead single from Horan’s forthcoming album, The Show. The LP will be released June 9.

“This album is a piece of work I’m so proud of and now it’s time to pass it over to you to go and make it your own,” Horan said of the album wrote on Instagram, captioning a post that featured the album’s official cover, a photo of him leaning on a window sill and staring up at the album’s title. “Thank you so much for being there for me all this time and I can’t wait to share the next couple of years of this new era with you. I’ve missed you all so much. It’s good to be back.”

Watch the video “Heaven” above.

24 Feb 2023

Kim Loaiza & JD Pantoja Talk Final Joint Projects at 2023 Premio Lo Nuestro

Mexican power couple Kimberly Loaiza and JD Pantoja, who’ve been together since 2012 and have two children together, had a lot to celebrate at the 2023 Premio Lo Nuestro on Thursday night (Feb. 23).

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“I feel very proud,” Loaiza said of her new female artist nomination. “My fans, Las Linduras, were the ones to give me the news. They’re always paying attention to everything. When I got the news, I thought, ‘Wow, I can’t believe it.’” (Later in the night, Loaiza won the award, where she was up against strong contenders including Tokischa, Lola Indigo, Corina Smith, Young Miko, Lola Indigo and many more.)

On the carpet, the couple shared exclusive news about their upcoming music projects.

“We’ve got news — it’s kind of bad for the fans, but we’re going to release our last collaboration together soon,” Pantoja tells Billboard.

Loaiza and Pantoja, two influencers-turned-artists, have released many collaborations in the past, but each has their individual career.

“My album is coming,” assures Loaiza, “and more collaborations with Argentinean and Puerto Rican artists. In April, I’ll release one of those songs.”

“I also have a song with a reggaeton legend from Puerto Rico that will soon, soon come out. I filmed the video not that long ago and it came out great,” Pantoja states of his upcoming feature.

Next month, the married couple will tour together, for the last time, on their Bye Bye Tour, visiting the U.S. for the first time. Produced by Loud and Live, the trek will visit four U.S. cities, kicking off March 31 in Chicago and winding through New York, Houston and Los Angeles.

24 Feb 2023

J-Hope Is Louis Vuitton’s Newest ‘House Ambassador’

Louis Vuitton announced Friday (Feb. 24) that BTS’ J-Hope is the luxury brand’s newest ambassador.

“He is beloved by fans across the world for his upbeat energy, precise choreography and creative musical direction,” the fashion house said in a statement to share the news. “With a positive on-and-off-stage presence, J-Hope continues to push artistic boundaries and inspire international audiences.”

Along with the rest of his BTS bandmates, the Korean rapper previously served as an ambassador for Louis Vuitton back in 2021. The K-pop boy band even wore custom suits by the label to the 2022 Grammy Awards. More recently, J-Hope was seated front row next to Louis Vuitton women’s creative director Nicolas Ghesquière for the fashion house’s menswear presentation during last month’s Paris Fashion Week.

To celebrate the renewed partnership, Louis Vuitton Worldwide shared a series of editorial photos on their official social channels of the “Chicken Noodle Soup” star modeling ensembles from their Fall/Winter 2023 collection, including an iridescent jacket in the brand’s signature monogrammed print, a chic cloud gray varsity jacket emblazoned with “Vuitton” in maroon lettering across the chest and a streetwear-inspired denim hoodie with radioactive yellow stitching.

Earlier this month, J-Hope unveiled his new documentary J-Hope in the Box on Weverse and Disney+. The film documents the 200 days leading up to the release of his debut solo album Jack in the Box as well as the K-pop idol’s history-making headlining set at Lollapalooza 2022.

Check out J-Hope repping the latest fashion-forward Louis Vuitton looks as house ambassador below.

24 Feb 2023

From The Weeknd x Ariana Grande to Karol G, What’s Your Favorite Music Release of the Week? Vote!

The last Friday of February brings a slew of new releases, including an all-star team-up between The Weeknd and Ariana Grande, Karol G‘s new album and more.

The Weeknd and Grande have returned to make magic again, this time with a 2023 remix of the crooner’s 2016 track “Die for You.” In light of the Starboy slow burner seeing a resurgence on the Billboard charts, thanks in part to TikTok, Grande hopped on the track to provide a swooping verse of her own, silky vocal runs and larger-than-life high notes. The track has so far peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100, but the remix could potentially allow it to soar to new heights.

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Karol G’s Mañana Será Bonito is begging for virality, largely in part due to its sizzling Shakira collab “TQG,” which serves as a major kiss-off to both of their exes. But the album’s equally strong cuts — “Provenza,” “Cairo” with Ovy on the Drums and the Romeo Santos duet “X Is Solvemos” — further proves Karol is more than here to stay. (See Billboard‘s ranking of Mañana Será Bonito‘s collabs here.)

Jonas Brothers, Don Toliver, Gorillaz and Halsey — with “Die 4 Me,” not to be confused with the “Die for You” remix — all return with new releases, but which song or album is your favorite? Vote in the poll below, or enter your own pick for the best new music.