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Alanis Morissette is headed to Vegas. The “You Oughta Know” singer announced the dates for her upcoming Alanis Morissette: Las Vegas 2025 residency run at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace on Monday morning (March 3), which will feature eight performances between Oct. 15 through Nov. 2. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See […]

Former American Idol finalist Colin Stough was arrested over the weekend and charged with DUI, underage consumption of alcohol and failure to exercise due care. According to AL.com, the Tennessee Highway Patrol took the 20-year-old singer into custody on Friday after he reportedly crashed his car outside of Nashville. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts […]

If you are going to be an enigma, you have to commit to the bit. Bob Dylan gets it. Despite being in the glitziest spotlight possible on Sunday night (March 2) at the 2025 Academy Awards ceremony where the biopic about his early life, A Complete Unknown, was nominated for (and lost) eight Oscars, Dylan […]

Wu-Tang Clan are going out in style. The legendary Shaolin crew recently announced the dates for what they are calling their last-ever full crew tour, Wu-Tang Forever: The Final Chamber Tour, and over the weekend they tapped one of the sports world’s most iconic voices to crank the hype up another notch.
“From the slums of Shaolin to the world stage, they have conquered, endured and remained untouchable. The RZA, the GZA, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Inspectah Deck, Raekwon the Chef, U-God, Ghostface Killah, Masta Killa, Cappadonna, Method Man: The Wu-Tang Clan,” intones veteran sportscaster and Inside the NBA host Ernie Johnson Jr. in the short video that takes fans to the home of the Wu-Tang via the subway as a parade of SUVs with the Wu-Tang flag crawls through the streets surveying a variety of graffiti tributes to the crew.

“The final chamber is upon us,” Johnson explains over an image of a Jumbotron emblazoned with the tour’s name as RZA and Meth meet center court to slap hands and flutter the crew’s signature hand sign together. “The beats will hit harder, the rhymes will cut deeper, and the message will be louder than ever: Wu-Tang is forever.”

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RZA then speaks up, announcing the name of the tour and its special guest: Run the Jewels. “El-P, Killer Mike, let’s go,” Method Man adds in a shout-out to RTJ’s MCs.

The Wu-Tang announced the 27-date final swing last Monday, revealing that they will hit arenas across North America beginning on June 6 in Baltimore at CFG Bank Arena, with tickets on sale now. All nine living members of the Wu-Tang Clan will be participating in the final tour with Young Dirty Bastard taking his late father’s place (ODB passed away in 2004).

Watch the ad, and check out the full list of dates, below.

2025 Final Chamber tour dates

June 6 – Baltimore, MD @ CFG Bank ArenaJune 7 – Raleigh, NC @ Lenovo CenterJune 10 – Tampa, FL @ Amalie ArenaJune 11 – Atlanta, GA @ State Farm ArenaJune 13 – Fort Worth, TX @ Dickies ArenaJune 14 – Houston, TX @ Toyota CenterJune 15 – Austin, TX @ Moody CenterJune 16 – Tulsa, OK @ BOK CenterJune 18 – Phoenix, AZ @ Footprint CenterJune 20 – Ontario, CA @ Toyota ArenaJune 21 – San Diego, CA @ Pechanga Arena San DiegoJune 22 – Los Angeles, CA @ Crypto.com ArenaJune 24 – San Francisco, CA @ Chase CenterJune 26 – Sacramento, CA @ Golden 1 CenterJune 28 – Seattle, CA @ Climate Pledge ArenaJune 30 – Vancouver, British Columbia @ Rogers ArenaJuly 1 – Portland, OR @ Moda CenterJuly 4 – Greenwood Village, CO @ Fiddler’s Green AmphitheatreJuly 7 – Chicago, IL @ United CenterJuly 8 – Detroit, MI @ Little Caesars ArenaJuly 9 – Columbus, OH @ Nationwide ArenaJuly 11 0- Boston, MA @ TD GardenJuly 13 – Laval, Quebec @ Place BellJuly 14 – Toronto, Ontario @ Scotiabank ArenaJuly 16 – New York, NY @ Madison Square GardenJuly 17 – Newark, NJ @ Prudential CenterJuly 18 – Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center

Just over an hour after the 97th Academy Awards came to a close, the annual Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Award Party was preparing for its hotly anticipated performance from the Grammy-winning artist Chappell Roan. 

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See latest videos, charts and news

Taking place just 10 minutes south of the Dolby Theater, at West Hollywood Park, a mix of fellow artists (from Brandi Carlile to Diplo), actors and industry insiders packed the largest of three rooms as the hour inched past 9:00 p.m. Following an introduction and thank you from Sir Elton John himself, Roan kicked her off her hour-long set at 9:10 with the rousing “Femininomenon” followed by “Naked In Manhattan.” 

“Can you believe it?” she asked. “We’re at a dog park behind The Abbey.” She later spoke of the famed gay bar for its role in inspiring her breakout hit “Pink Pony Club” – which she performed alongside John, who stayed seated for its verses but jumped up to sing and dance to the chorus while donning a sparkling pink cowboy hat placed on his head by Roan herself. To which he said: “Yeah, baby!”

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“I would just like to say thank you, Elton, for believing in ‘Pink Pony Club.’ He played it first, y’all. And I’m so grateful that you would have me here,” Roan said. She also stressed the importance of his event while wiping away a tear and holding John’s hand. “You have sacrificed so much for the queer community, and you made it so I could be the artist I could be.”

Prior to duetting on a hit of Roan’s, the pair performed a stunning rendition of John’s Hot 100 No. 1 “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” with John on keys. And earlier, Roan had tucked in another ode to the legend with an incredible cover of his touching top 10 track “Your Song.” 

“It’s kind of scary singing it in front of the person who wrote it,” Roan admitted with a laugh, adding it’s “maybe the best song of all time.” She dedicated the song to parents, both of whom were in attendance, and thanked them for introducing her to John’s discography.

Still, the majority of Roan’s set was filled with her own charting hits, including “Casual,” “Hot To Go!” “Red Wine Supernova,” “Good Luck, Babe!” and “My Kink Is Karma.” But no matter what song Roan was performing, she delivered a potent combination of her soaring vocal range and spirited physicality (she rarely stayed in one spot on stage for long and proved to be well acquainted with a high kick). And while nothing about her set was inhibited by the black tie attire and table seatings scattered throughout the room, she had no problem calling out those in the back row who were a bit more reserved.

“Cut loose, baby!” she said with a laugh. “Let’s have fun.” Meanwhile, those packed near the stage had no need for such instructions, as their dancing made the floor shake (coincidentally, an earthquake hit Los Angeles minutes after her set ended). 

As John said himself of the superstar while on stage: “You’re the best, baby. I love you so much.”

Billboard was inside the Dolby Theatre for the Wicked opening, the James Bond music tribute & more.

Neil Young is bringing new meaning to “Rockin’ in the Free World,” announcing plans to give his Ukrainian fans a free concert during his upcoming European tour. News of Young’s upcoming concert were announced by the Canadian music veteran on his own Neil Young Archives website. “Neil Young and the Chrome Hearts will open the […]

Diane Warren has now gone 0-16 for best original song, while A Complete Unknown was 0-8 overall.

Dua Lipa has again proven her status as a major drawcard on Australian shores.
The U.K. singer is readying herself to head Down Under in a matter of days for the Australian leg of her global Radical Optimism Tour. Launching on March 17, the singer will remain in the country for just under a fortnight, with five nights scheduled for the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, and a further three at Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena. Lipa will then jet over to New Zealand for two sold-out dates at Auckland’s Spark Arena in early April.

Ahead of the tour’s kick-off, promoters have now revealed the entirety of her Australian trek has sold out, adding another feather to her already-decorated cap. Lipa’s last visit to Australia, in 2022 for the Future Nostalgia Tour, also saw her visit neighboring capitals Perth, Adelaide, and Brisbane. With that entire tour selling out as well, Lipa’s decision to instead consolidate her current efforts across just two cities has paid off. The previous seven-date trek brought in just under 100,000 fans, with her nascent visit set to exceed 120,000.

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See latest videos, charts and news

The Australian and New Zealand legs of the Radical Optimism Tour will also see Lipa joined by Brisbane musician Kita Alexander. Having been releasing music since 2013, Alexander issued her debut album in 2024, with Young in Love reaching No. 61 on the national ARIA charts, and her 2023 “Atmosphere” collaboration with FISHER receiving four nomination at last year’s ARIA Awards.

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Dua Lipa’s upcoming Australian visit will be her first dates of 2025 and takes place in support of her third album, 2024’s Radical Optimism, which peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. The record also spawned her single “Houdini”, which took out top dance/electronic song at the 2024 Billboard Music Awards.

On Saturday (March 1), Lipa appeared at the Brit Awards ceremony in London, where she was nominated for four awards, including British album of the year, British artist of the year, best pop act, and song of the year for “Training Season.” Ultimately, she walked away empty-handed, with Charli XCX dominating instead, taking out five of her six nominations.

Dua Lipa – Radical Optimism Australian Tour Dates

March 17 – Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, VICMarch 19 – Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, VICMarch 20 – Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, VICMarch 22 – Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, VICMarch 23 – Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, VICMarch 26 – Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney, NSWMarch 28 – Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney, NSWMarch 29 – Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney, NSW

Sean Baker won four Oscars for Anora at the 2025 Academy Awards, which were presented on Sunday (March 2) at the Dolby Theater at Ovation Hollywood. This tied Walt Disney’s 1954 record for most Oscars won in one night.
Baker won best picture, best director, best original screenplay and best editing. At the Oscars in February 1954, Walt Disney won four Oscars (all for different films): best documentary feature (The Living Desert), best documentary short subject (The Alaskan Eskimo), best cartoon short subject (Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom) and best two-reel short subject (Bear Country).

Anora won five awards in all (Mikey Madison also won best actress), which made it the night’s most awarded film. The Brutalist was second with three awards.

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Adrien Brody, Kieran Culkin and Zoe Saldaña won the other three acting awards. But this being Billboard, let’s turn first to the winners in the music categories.

“El Mal” from Emilia Pérez won best original song. It’s the second time in three years that the award has gone to song in a language other than English. “El Mal” is sung in Spanish. “Naatu Naatu” from RRR, an Indian Telugu-language song, won in this category two years ago.

Four other such songs have won over the years – “Mona Lisa” from Captain, Carey, U.S.A. (which is performed in Spanish by a troubadour in the 1950 film, though it is best known for Nat King Cole’s smash cover version in English); “Never on Sunday” from the film of the same name (which is performed in Greek in the 1960 film); “Al Otro Lado Del Río” from The Motorcycle Diaries (which is performed in Spanish in the 2004 film); and “Jai Ho” from Slumdog Millionaire 14 years ago (which was performed in Hindi).

“El Mal” was co-written by Clément Ducol and Camille, who are a romantic couple, and Jacques Audiard, who directed the film. Ducol and Camille are the sixth romantic couple to win in this category following Alan and Marilyn Bergman, Burt Bacharach and Carole Bayer Sager, Jack Nitzsche and Buffy Sainte-Marie, Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, and Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez.

Audiard is just the second person in Oscar history, and the first in nearly 50 years, to win an Oscar for writing or co-writing a song from a film he directed. The first was Joe Brooks, who wrote “You Light Up My Life,” which won in 1978.

“El Mal” beat the latest song by Diane Warren, who has now gone 0-16 in the category, and two-time winner Elton John, who went home from an Oscar ceremony where he was a nominee without an Oscar for the first time. With her 0-16 track record, Warren ties sound and sound mixing specialist Greg P. Russell for the most nominations without a competitive win (yet).

Daniel Blumberg won best original score for The Brutalist. This was one of two awards for Brady Corbet’s film, which stars Adrien Brody as a Hungarian Jewish architect who survives the Holocaust and builds a new life in America. Blumberg, 35, is an English artist, musician, songwriter and composer. In addition to composing all the music, Blumberg served as producer and recording engineer and played piano, harmonica, keyboards and synthesizer.

Adrien Brody won his second Oscar for best actor for The Brutalist, 22 years after he won his first for The Pianist. He is just the third actor to win twice in that category since 2000, following Sean Penn (Mystic River and Milk) and Daniel Day-Lewis (There Will Be Blood and Lincoln).

Mikey Madison won best actress for playing the title role in Anora.  The 25-year-old actress won in what was seen as a close race with Demi Moore, 62, nominated for The Substance. Madison is the youngest winner in this category since Jennifer Lawrence won at age 22 in 2013 for Silver Linings Playbook.

Kieran Culkin won best supporting actor for A Real Pain. He’s the first winner in that category from a movie that wasn’t nominated for best picture since Christopher Plummer won in 2012 for Beginners. His co-star in the film, Jesse Eisenberg, was nominated for best original screenplay, but lost to Sean Baker for Anora.

Zoe Saldaña won best supporting actress for Emilia Pérez, becoming the fifth actress to win in this category for a musical performance since 2000. She follows Catherine Zeta-Jones for Chicago (2003), Jennifer Hudson for Dreamgirls (2007), Anne Hathaway for Les Misérables (2013) and Ariana DeBose for West Side Story (2022).

Saldaña performed the best original song winner, “El Mal,” in Emilia Pérez. This is only the fifth time an actor has won a competitive acting Oscar for a performance that included singing an Oscar-winning song.

Emilia Pérez won just two awards from its 13 nominations – best original song and best supporting actress. Netflix’s crime musical holds an unwelcome Oscar record: It won fewer Oscars than any other film that received 13 or more nominations. The old record was held by The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, which won three awards from its 13 nods in 2009.

Paul Tazewell won best costume design for Wicked. He’s just the second Black costume designer – and the first Black man – to win in this category. Ruth E. Carter is the only other Black costume designer to win here. She won for both Black Panther and its sequel, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

Flow won the Oscar for best animated feature, becoming the first indie film to win in this category.