Music

14 Dec 2022

Nick Cannon Recalls the ‘Shock’ of Late Son Zen’s Brain Cancer Diagnosis

Nick Cannon sat down for a new interview Wednesday (Dec. 14) to discuss his late son Zen’s battle with a rare form of brain cancer.

Speaking to Dr. David Agus, the Masked Singer host shared that, initially, he brought Zen for a checkup when the baby started breathing abnormally. “But when we took him to the doctor, they noticed that his head was larger than it should’ve been at 2 months. And then that was the first sign that there was something occurring,” he explained in the new episode of The Checkup With Dr. Agus.

“They did a lot of tests; they didn’t let him leave the hospital,” Cannon continued. “And so you can imagine, you think you’re taking your son in to get a checkup for, at the worst I was thinking asthma, you know? And to know that he gets diagnosed with brain cancer, that was a shock.”

Cannon further explained that his and mom Alyssa Scott’s primary focus from then on was the 2-month-old’s quality of life, from letting the doctors put a shunt in to drain the fluid from his brain to deciding to forgo further, more aggressive treatment like chemotherapy.

“They pretty much told me that, ‘Best-case scenario, your son could live to 3 or 4 years old,’” he said. “And so instantly when I heard that, I was like, ‘OK, quality of life. I want him to have the best existence that he could possibly have.’”

Sadly, Zen died in December 2021 at just 5 months old. Since then, Cannon has welcomed four more children with four other women, and Scott announced last month that her second baby with the star is on the way — bringing his ever-growing brood to a full dozen.

Cannon’s episode of The Checkup is now streaming on Paramount+. Additional episodes feature interviews with Oprah Winfrey and Maria Shriver, Amy Schumer, Ashton Kutcher and his twin brother Michael and more.

Watch a preview of Cannon’s discussion with Dr. Agus below.

14 Dec 2022

Austin Butler Goes Green Goblin for ‘Saturday Night Live’ Promo

Austin Butler is ready to make his big debut. Not as Elvis (he did that already, starring in a biopic about the rock ‘n’ roll icon this past summer), but as a first-time Saturday Night Live host.

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

On Wednesday (Dec. 14), the long-running comedy show shared the first teaser for Butler’s episode, which held a small hint of what fans can expect.

The 35-second clip kicked off with Butler heading toward the show’s famous stage, breathing an excited sigh and saying “Here we go” before surveying the space. As he walks up to the stage, a soft breeze blows through his golden blond hair and a twinkle hits his eye — but the illusion is broken when a stage hand interrupts his fantasy.

“In this sketch you’ll be the Christmas goblin,” the stage hand informs the actor. A hideous mask with a big red Santa hat on top is placed on his face by a separate stage hand, but Butler remains cool and collected. “Let’s do this,” he says, mask on his face and hands on his hips.

Butler’s hosting gig marks his first time on the show, but Saturday’s musical guest Lizzo is a veteran at this point after two previous SNL performances. Lizzo made her debut in December 2019, when she performed a holiday-themed version of “Good as Hell,” and she returned last season in April, when she both hosted and performed “About Damn Time” and “Special.”

Butler and Lizzo’s SNL episode airs Saturday, Dec. 1, on NBC. Watch Butler’s SNL teaser in the video above.

14 Dec 2022

Stephen ‘tWitch’ Boss Cause of Death Revealed

Editor’s note: This story contains details of a suicide.

Stephen “tWitch” Boss, former DJ on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, died at age 40 on Wednesday (Dec. 14). Following the news, authorities have now revealed the details of Boss’ autopsy and have concluded his death was a suicide via gunshot wound to the head.

The medical examination, shared publicly by the Los Angeles Country Medical Examiner’s office, revealed that Boss was found in a hotel room when authorities arrived on the scene. No other details were revealed in the report.

Boss’ wife, dancer Allison Holker Boss, was the first to share the news of her husband’s death through a statement to People. “It is with the heaviest of hearts that I have to share my husband Stephen has left us,” she wrote. “Stephen lit up every room he stepped into. He valued family, friends and community above all else and leading with love and light was everything to him. He was the backbone of our family, the best husband and father, and an inspiration to his fans.

“To say he left a legacy would be an understatement, and his positive impact will continue to be felt,” continued Boss, 34. “I am certain there won’t be a day that goes by that we won’t honor his memory. We ask for privacy during this difficult time for myself and especially for our three children. Stephen, we love you, we miss you, and I will always save the last dance for you.”

The DJ first rose to prominence on MTV’s The Wade Robson Project in 2003 before earning the runner-up spot on So You Think You Can Dance in 2008. He joined The Ellen DeGeneres Show as a guest DJ in 2014 and later ascended the ranks to become a co-executive producer in 2020 and remained with the show until it wrapped in 2022.

DeGeneres shared her condolences via Twitter on Wednesday. “I’m heartbroken,” she tweeted alongside a photo of her hugging the dancer and DJ. “tWitch was pure love and light. He was my family, and I loved him with all my heart. I will miss him. Please send your love and support to Allison and his beautiful children – Weslie, Maddox, and Zaia.”

If you’re thinking about suicide, or are worried about a friend or loved one, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, available 24 hours, at 1-800-273-8255.

14 Dec 2022

Little Mix Just Had a Sweet Reunion for Christmas and ‘It Feels So Good’

Talk about a merry Little (Mix) Christmas! On Tuesday (Dec. 13), the three members of Little Mix got together to celebrate the holidays and showed their fans the reunion on social media.

“Reunited for a Christmas catch up and it feels so good,” the trio captioned the snap of themselves smiling and sandwiched together with their arms around one another. In the photo, Leigh-Anne Pinnock wears a cozy all-brown ensemble while Perrie Edwards opts for an oversized blazer in army green. Jade Thirlwall, meanwhile, gives a peek at the Egyptian tattoo on her ribcage in a crocheted white crop top and camo pants.

After announcing they’d be going on a hiatus last December, the British girl group spent the first part of 2022 on The Confetti Tour across the U.K. and Ireland in support of their sixth album of the same name. Since then, Thirlwall has inked a deal with RCA Records to launch her solo career and hopped into the studio with TWICE’s Nayeon to write album cut “Candyfloss” off the K-pop idol’s debut solo mini-album IM NAYEON.

Edwards got engaged to fiancé Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in June, just months before the pair’s Cheshire County home was burglarized while they were home with their 1-year-old son Axel. (The intruders reportedly made off with designer bags and jewelry while the family was downstairs.)

Meanwhile, former member Jesy Nelson has yet to release a follow-up to her 2021 solo single “Boyz” featuring Nicki Minaj after exiting the girl group back in December 2020.

Get a look at Little Mix’s cozy Christmas catch-up below.

14 Dec 2022

Here Are Sadie Sink’s Top Tracks From Taylor Swift’s ‘Midnights’

Sadie Sink is a Swiftie through and through — and not just because she starred in Taylor Swift‘s All Too Well: The Short Film.

In a new interview with Elle, the Stranger Things actress revealed that she listened to Swift’s 10th studio album, Midnights, and her top tracks are “Labyrinth,” “Sweet Nothing,” and “You’re on Your Own, Kid.” The third one on the list, she explained, is “track five – it’s always the best one.”

Sink was hand-picked by Swift to star in the epic “All Too Well” short film alongside Dylan O’Brien, chronicling seven chapters of a couple’s relationship. The 10-minute, expanded version of the fan-favorite track was featured on Red (Taylor’s Version), released in November 2021. “Of course it’s such an iconic song and the way she brought that to life on screen was really special so it was an honor to be a part of it,” Sink previously told Glamour.

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

Swift’s recent album, Midnights, spent five nonconsecutive weeks atop the Billboard 200 albums chart, and was recently dethroned by Metro Boomin’s superstar-filled album Heroes & Villains on the Dec. 17-dated chart.

The last Swift album with more weeks at No. 1 is Folklore, which notched eight nonconsecutive weeks atop the list in 2020. Since then, she’s claimed four more chart-topping albums: Evermore (four weeks at No. 1 in 2020-21), Fearless (Taylor’s Version) (two weeks, 2021), Red (Taylor’s Version) (one week in 2021) and Midnights (five weeks so far).

14 Dec 2022

Here Are the Lyrics to Argentina’s National Team Song in the 2022 World Cup

One of the most memorable moments in Latin music during the 2022 World Cup was undoubtedly “Muchachos, Ahora Nos Volvimos a Ilusionar,” a cover of an old La Mosca song that was given new lyrics by a fan. The song has become the ultimate anthem to celebrate the achievements of the Argentine National Team in Qatar and beyond, and now it takes on special relevance with the Albiceleste’s advancement to the final of the event held this Sunday (Dec. 18).  

“Muchachos, ahora nos volvimos a ilusionar, quiero ganar la tercera, quiero ser campeón mundial,” or “Boys, we have our hopes up again, I want to win the third, I want to be world champion,” goes the song, which was chanted by thousands of fans on Tuesday (Dec. 13) when Argentina beat Croatia 3-0.

The song itself is a poetic ode to Argentina’s profound respect for soccer and its solidarity and empathy as a nation. It mentions the late sports legend Diego Armando Maradona cheering on Lionel Messi from heaven with his mother, Dalma Salvadora Franco, aka La Tota. She is said to have become the most influential figure for the mythical Maradona, which is why fans christened her “the Mother of Soccer.” 

“It has to do with our frustrations, our successes, our hopes, Malvinas, finals lost and finals won. And of course to have the illusion of being champions again,” Guillermo Novellis previously told Billboard.

“Muchachos” came into the public consciousness when the world’s most popular Argentine soccer player, Lionel Messi, was asked what his favorite song was during a television interview just before the World Cup kickoff. He mentioned the endearing song by La Mosca, and even sang it on screen.

“It’s like arriving in Rome and being introduced by the Pope,” Novellis told Billboard about that moment.

In November, the entire Argentina national team was caught on camera singing it at the top of their lungs as they celebrated their victory over Mexico.

“Muchachos, Ahora Nos Volvimos a Ilusionar” is a version of “Muchachos, Esta Noche me Emborracho,” also by La Mosca, released in 2003. But the most recent version — written by soccer fan Fernando Romero in July 2021 to celebrate Argentina’s run to the Copa América final — is the one that has captured hearts.

“It’s a song that has a lot of tango in its lyrics and melody,” said Novellis. “This [newer] version started with Copa América, and the new lyrics are really good. They have to do with our frustrations, our success, our hopes, the Falklands, finals lost and finals won. And of course, the hope of being champions again. Maybe that’s why it resonated so much with fans and players.”

Here are the translated lyrics of the anthem that has gone viral during the 2022 World Cup: 

In Argentina I was born
Land of Diego and Lionel
Of the children of Malvinas
That I will never forget
I can’t explain it to you
Because you won’t understand
The finals we lost
How many years I cried
But that’s over
Because at the Maracaná
The final with the brazucas
Dad won it again
Boys
Now we’ve got our hopes up again
I want to win the third
I want to be world champion
And Diego
From the sky we can see him
With Don Diego and La Tota
Cheering Lionel on
Boys
Now we’ve got our hopes up again
I want to win the third
I want to be world champion
And Diego
From the sky we can see him
With Don Diego and La Tota
Cheering Lionel on, and to be champions again, and to be champions again

For the original Spanish lyrics, click here.

14 Dec 2022

The Contenders: SZA’s ‘S.O.S.’ Aims for No. 1 on the Billboard 200

Welcome to The Contenders, a midweek column that looks at artists aiming for the top of the Billboard charts, and the strategies behind their efforts. This week (for the upcoming Billboard 200 albums chart dated Dec. 24): Just before the last Christmas push, a final ‘S.O.S.’ from the pop world aims to sleigh the competition. 

SZA, S.O.S. (Top Dawg Entertainment/RCA). It’s been five years and countless false starts since R&B superstar SZA dropped her massively influential full-length debut Ctrl. Early signs from the release of her second album S.O.S. indicate that the fans have stuck around: the set dominated the daily Spotify and Apple Music charts over the weekend, while drawing reviews strong enough to make a lot of early December year-end lists look premature.  

With no physical release on the schedule, the vast majority of the album’s first-week numbers will mostly come from streaming. But with 23 tracks, including a trio of proven singles in Billboard Hot 100 top 20 hits “Good Days,” “I Hate U’ and “Shirt,” plus guest appearances from Travis Scott and Phoebe Bridgers, it should still end up scoring one of the late year’s strongest debuts.  

A Boogie Wit da Hoodie, Me vs. Myself (Highbridge the Label/Atlantic). A Boogie Wit da Hoodie was one of the most prolific artists on the Billboard charts at the turn of the decade, with a couple dozen Hot 100 hits and a Billboard 200 No. 1 album in 2018’s Hoodie SZN. The past two years haven’t been as kind commercially, but the artist born Artist Dubose looks to reverse that trend with the release of fourth studio album Me vs. Myself.  

Me vs. Myself will also need to lean on streaming , since it, too, has no physical version and A Boogie has never sold much music – Hoodie SZN was the first album to top the Billboard 200 with sales of under 1,000 copies. But MvM will also get a boost from its 22-song tracklist, with features from fellow streaming stars Kodak Black, Lil Durk, Roddy Ricch.  

Anuel AA, LLNM2 (Real Hasta la Muerte/Sony Latin). As with SZA and A Boogie, Latin trap hitmaker Anuel AA’s latest effort arrives without a physical product – but it has a tracklist expansive enough to make both S.O.S. and Me vs. Myself look like EPs by comparison. LLMN2 (short for “Las Leyendas Nunca Mueren 2,” or “Legends Never Die 2”) runs a bountiful 33 tracks, with big-name guests from both reggaetón (Nicky Jam, Jowell & Randy, Zion) and hip-hop (DaBaby, Lil Durk, Kodak Black). 

Anuel’s hit the Billboard 200 top 10 twice already, with 2020’s Emmanuel (No. 8) and 2021’s Ozuna teamup Los Dioses (No. 10), but 2021’s first Las Leyendas Nunca Mueren release peaked at No. 30. That album had just 16 tracks, so maybe going with the volume-shooter approach for its sequel will net him the top 10 hat trick.  

14 Dec 2022

Cher Says Mother Georgia Holt Was in ‘So Much Pain’ Before She Died

Just a few days after Georgia Holt died at 96 on Dec. 10, Cher is giving more information on her mother’s death.

After noting that she “can’t sleep very well,” on Twitter on Tuesday (Dec. 13), the “Believe” singer explained that Holt has “been Sick & rallying, she then got bad, She was in so much pain.”

Cher continued, “Finally she coded on way to [the hospital]. By time we Got to Hosp….The Woman who Who Was MY KICK A– MOM was No [longer] Here.” The 76-year-old singer did not reveal any additional details surrounding Holt’s illness.

Explore

Explore

See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

Cher also encouraged fans to listen to Holt’s song, “I’m Just Your Yesterday,” which features the late star’s iconic daughter. “You’ll see where I stole my voice,” Cher wrote.

Throughout her life, appeared in such films as A Life of Her Own (1950), Grounds for Marriage (1951), Father’s Little Dividend (1951) and Artists and Models (1955) and on TV shows like The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet and, as a “Jacques Marcel” model, on I Love Lucy (in the hilarious 1956 episode “Lucy Gets a Paris Gown”).

In the music world, she was offered a contract by Columbia Records, and in 1980 recorded an album, Honky Tonk Woman, which features “I’m Just Your Yesterday.” The album wasn’t officially released until 2013, after the master tapes were rediscovered in Holt’s garage.

“I know that a record company might want to sign me just because I’m Cher’s mother,” she told People magazine in 1978. “I’d like to have a career, but I’m not going to be a novelty or a flash in the pan. A lot of people say I can do it.”

14 Dec 2022

Metallica’s ‘Lux Æterna’ Is Already No. 1 on Mainstream Rock Airplay Chart

After only two weeks on the chart, Metallica’s “Lux Æterna” is No. 1 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Airplay list dated Dec. 17.

The song climbs to the top after debuting at No. 2 on the Dec. 10 survey, the best start for any song in 16 years.

With its two-week trip to No. 1, “Lux” completes the quickest coronation in eight years. Foo Fighters’ “Something From Nothing” also took two frames in November 2014.

“Lux” and “Something” are the only two songs to need two or fewer weeks to reign in the entirety of the 2000s. Prior to “Something,” the last act to pull off the feat was Metallica with its cover of Bob Seger‘s “Turn the Page,” which hit No. 1 in its second week in November 1998.

Metallica snags its 11th Mainstream Rock Airplay leader and first since “All Within My Hands,” which crowned the ranking for four weeks in September 2020. In between “Hands” and “Lux,” the band reached No. 18 this August with the reserviced 1986 track “Master of Puppets,” following its synch in the fourth season of Netflix’s Stranger Things.

Metallica’s 11 No. 1s, which kicked off with “Until It Sleeps” in 1996, place the band in a three-way tie for sixth all time on Mainstream Rock Airplay, which began in 1981, alongside Disturbed and Foo Fighters. Shinedown leads all acts with 18 rulers.

Most No. 1s, Mainstream Rock Airplay

  • 18, Shinedown
  • 17, Three Days Grace
  • 13, 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

Concurrently, “Lux” ranks at No. 2 for a second week on the all-rock-format, audience-based Rock & Alternative Airplay chart with 4.5 million audience impressions, according to Luminate. It also lifts 35-34 on Alternative Airplay.

“Lux” leads the multi-metric Hot Hard Rock Songs list for a second week. In addition to its radio airplay, the song scored 2.5 million official U.S. streams and sold 2,000 downloads in the Dec. 2-8 tracking week.

Metallica’s 11th studio album, 72 Seasons, is due April 14, 2023.

14 Dec 2022

Watch Blake Shelton & Kane Brown Team Up for a Duet During ‘The Voice’ Season Finale

Kane Brown and Blake Shelton turned in an intense duet, complete with fire and pyrotechnics, when they performed the live debut of their collaboration “Different Man” on the season finale of NBC’s The Voice on Tuesday evening (Dec. 13).

“Different Man,” which serves as the title track to Brown’s 2022 album, features lyrics all too relatable for anyone pursuing a career in music: “What if I was made for the stage/ What if I was made for the lights/ What if I was chosen to write the stories, wasn’t built to work the line.”

“I was driving to the gym — that’s where I really have time to think and listen,” Brown previously told Billboard of bringing Shelton in on the track. “I wanted one more feature on the album, and Blake was the first person I thought of. The song just reminded me of the ‘God’s Country’ kind of Blake Shelton, so I felt like it made sense.”

Shelton has served as a coach on The Voice since its launch in 2011, and previously brought in Brown as an advisor for Team Blake in 2020. Brown has frequently included a cover of Shelton’s “Ol’ Red” in his concerts. Brown previously said that serving as an advisor on Team Blake was a full-circle moment for him.

“I always wanted to go on The Voice and try out for Blake,” Brown previously told Parade. “I think I said that on the show. I always wanted to go and sing ‘Ol’ Red’ in front of Blake and see if I could get him to turn around. And then, it was just a full circle moment getting to come and be his advisor.”

The season 22 finale of The Voice also featured performances from OneRepublic, Breland, Maluma and Adam Lambert. Meanwhile, Team Blake earned a ninth victory with this season’s win, as country singer and Team Blake member Bryce Leatherwood emerged as the competition’s victor.

Shelton recently announced he will step away from The Voice after next season.

Watch Shelton and Brown’s performance above.