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01 Dec 2023

The Story Behind Dolly Parton’s Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader Uniform: ‘Dolly Didn’t Tell or Show Anyone’

Three cheers for Dolly Parton! The superstar set tongues wagging and jaws dropping when she appeared at the Dallas Cowboys’ halftime show on Thanksgiving wearing a Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders outfit.

Parton donned the squad’s trademark cropped blue top with a short white vest and tiny white shorts. Being Parton, she completed the look with pantyhose and sheer midriff covering, both blinged out with rhinestones.

She took the field to perform a truncated set of “Jolene,” “9-to-5” and “We Are the Champions/We Will Rock You.”

Parton had rehearsed the routine on a stage in Nashville for a week, but it wasn’t until right before she took the field in Dallas that even her manager found out what she was going to wear.

“Dolly didn’t tell or show anyone that she was going to dress as a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader until it was time to go to the stage,” Parton’s manager Danny Nozell tells Billboard. “It was completely her idea. She waited until right before she went to stage and came out of the dressing room to show us all. When she came out, myself, the security and my staff fainted. I couldn’t tell the difference between Dolly and the cheerleaders. That is the genius of Dolly, and people are still talking about it.”

They’re still listening to her new album too. The halftime appearance was part of a promotional blitz for the 30-track Rockstar, released Nov. 17, which debuted at a career-high No. 3 on the all-genre Billboard 200 albums chart, surpassing Parton’s previous high of No. 6 for 2014’s Blue Smoke. With 128,000 equivalent album units, Rockstar also blasted in at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums, Top Rock & Alternative Albums, Top Rock Albums and Top Album Sales charts.

Parton did more than just perform in Dallas: She also donated $1 million to the Red Kettle campaign with the Salvation Army, which kicked off its annual fundraising drive during the Cowboys’ halftime.

01 Dec 2023

Kelly Clarkson Soars on ‘Kellyoke’ Cover of Eagles’ ‘Desperado’

Kelly Clarkson took the Eagles‘ classic “Desperado” to new heights on Friday’s (Dec. 1) episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show.

For her daily Kellyoke cover, Clarkson chose the title track from the band’s 1973 album, taking some creative liberties with the well-known melody and hitting some power notes much loftier than Don Henley’s original vocal.

Forgoing her typical band and backup singers, Clarkson hit the stage with only her music director Jason Halbert behind the piano. She played it pretty straight through the first two-thirds of the performance with her lush delivery, before going up a whole octave to drive home the final few phrases.

“It may be rainin’, but there’s a rainbow above you/ You better let somebody love you (Let somebody love you),” she wailed, quietly finishing with: “You better let somebody love you before it’s too late.”

“Desperado,” which was written by Eagles’ co-frontmen Henley and the late Glenn Frey, was never released as a single, though it’s one of the band’s best-remembered songs. In fact, Billboard ranked it at No. 2 on our list of the 15 best Eagles songs — updated earlier this year following the death of original bassist Randy Meisner at age 77 in July — topped only by their Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit “Hotel California.”

Clarkson previously covered Eagles’ 1979 rocker “Heartache Tonight” — which Henley and Frey co-wrote with Bob Seger and J.D. Souther — last year for Kellyoke.

Watch her “Desperado” cover below:


https://youtube.com/watch?v=nOh_-vx3A7E&version=3&rel=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&fs=1&hl=en-US&autohide=2&wmode=transparent

01 Dec 2023

Flavor Flav Is Still a Swiftie: ‘Anybody Want to Trade a Bracelet With Your Boy?’

Taylor Swift was surely on Flavor Flav’s top Spotify Wrapped artists this year. The rapper stopped by Tamron Hall on Friday (Dec. 1), where he revealed why he’s such a fervent Swiftie.

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“I love Taylor Swift’s music,” he explained. “Let me put it like this, I listen to her music real good, and she keeps it real with her audience. She writes about a lot of the things she goes through, and then when she gets out on that stage, a lot of people can relate to her.”

After adding that Swift sends him merch and that he attended a few of the Eras tour stops, he reached out his arms towards the audience, and took off a beaded friendship bracelet, a beloved trend among Swifties. “Anybody want to trade a bracelet with your boy?” he asked the crowd.

Back in March, Flav took a now-viral selfie with Swift at the 2023 iHeartRadio Music Awards. “Love me some Taylor Swift, man, always did,” Flav told Billboard on the red carpet, before opening up his green puffer jacket to reveal a white t-shirt featuring the popular lyrics from Swift’s Evermore track, “Willow”: “I come back stronger than a 90’s trend.” He even captioned his Instagram post with Swift using the same lyric.

 “I heard that Taylor Swift keeps her clock on 12, just like mine,” he added. “The reason why I keep my clock on 12 is because 12 o’clock points straight up. Every day, I’m straight up with you.”

Watch Flav gush over Swift on Tamron Hall below.

01 Dec 2023

Reneé Rapp Taps Classic Urban Outfitters Looks for ‘Tummy Hurts’ Music Video: Shop Here

All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

Reneé Rapp has been drawing sell-out crowds for her Snow Hard Feelings Tour (tickets to some upcoming shows are still available here), but that’s not all that’s capturing fans’ attention. The former Sex Lives of College Girls actress finally dropped a music video for her remixed single “Tummy Hurts” with singer Coco Jones, and Jones isn’t the only one spotlighted in the video.

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Urban Outfitters also took center stage with classic yet stylish pieces worn by background models. Besides the song’s hypnotic melodies, viewers may have also noticed the trendy looks the men were showing off, including cargo denim jeans and timeless white tanks tops that are perfect for layering underneath shackets, teddy coats and more.

Each versatile piece was shown in frozen frames and shots of the two artists belting about how falling in love with the wrong person makes their “tummy hurt” — and each style is still in stock.

Whether you want to re-create the music video with friends or searching for gifts for music lovers and fashion enthusiasts, these classic pieces will help refresh wardrobes while bringing a touch of the Snow Angel singer’s fashion taste to your looks. Rather than hunt for the exact styles yourself, we found them and rounded up each one for you to stock up on below.

Keep reading to shop the exact looks.

Urban Outfitters Jeans & Tops from “Tummy Hurts”

model wearing white tank top with black baseball cap and jeans

Urban Outfitters

UO Classic Ribbed Tank Top

Urban Outfitter’s ribbed tank top is the multifunctional piece practically every wardrobe needs. The cotton material features a ribbed design that’ll add texture to you outfits, and it’s versatile enough to wear under flannel, leather jackets and more.

model wearing dark wash jeans with light blue top

Urban Outfitters

BDG ’90s Vintage Slim Fit Jean

Can you every truly have too many jeans? And with a style like these vintage slim fit pair, you won’t want to miss out showing these off at your night out with friends. The wash is a mix of dark denim and faded blue to give it that worn-in feel, while the straight leg provides a put-together yet on-trend look.

model wearing light wash cargo jeans with hoodie

Urban Outfitters

BDG Baggy Skate Fit Cargo Jean

Cargo jeans are having a moment this season and for those looking to hop on the trend, you’ll want to add BDG’s pair to your cart immediately. The fit features drawstring ankles you can customize to your preference while the leg is more loose for a relaxed feel.

For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best gifts for everyone on your list, best pleated skirts and best jeans for women.

Watch below to see the looks in the “Tummy Hurts” music video.

01 Dec 2023

Taylor Swift Will Earn Over $100M From Spotify This Year

In 2023, Taylor Swift has towered above her musical peers on multiple fronts. And earlier this week, she racked up another major achievement when she was named Spotify‘s top-streamed artist of 2023.

As part of its annual year-end Wrapped rundown on Wednesday (Nov. 29), Spotify announced that Swift had racked up 26.1 billion streams globally on the service since Jan. 1, topping the likes of three-time champ Bad Bunny as well as The Weeknd, Drake and Peso Pluma. This didn’t exactly come as a surprise considering the ongoing success of her late-2022 album, Midnights, as well as two chart-topping re-recordings: Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) and 1989 (Taylor’s Version), the latter of which racked up a whopping 375.49 million on-demand official streams in its first week.

Swift’s year on Spotify tops any artist ever on the platform, which — now 15 years since launching — keeps expanding its user base annually. For comparison, when Bad Bunny was announced as the top Wrapped artist in the prior three years, he had 18.5 billion streams in 2022, 9.1 billion in 2021 and 8.3 billion streams in 2020.

According to Billboard‘s royalty calculator, Swift’s 26.1 billion streams amount to about $97 million in recorded music royalties. And the year’s not even done yet. When estimating her total streams through December, that number would swell to 27.2 billion, amounting to recorded music royalties of $101 million through the end of the year from Spotify alone. Add in publishing revenue, and Swift’s music will have earned about $131 million on Spotify by the end of the year.

Of course, that only accounts for Swift’s performance on Spotify, which remains the streaming market leader. When tallying on-demand streams across all platforms — including such heavy-hitters as Apple Music, YouTube Music and Amazon Music — Billboard estimates that her catalog racked up a total of 38.3 billion streams through the end of the year, amounting to a total of about $160 million in recorded royalties, by Billboard’s estimates. With publishing, Swift’s total on-demand streaming revenue gets close to $200 million.

It’s worth noting that Swift likely takes the lion’s share of this money. In her contract with Universal Music Group and Republic Records, signed in 2018, she retained master rights to all of her music going forward. That includes all four of her re-recorded Taylor’s Version albums so far: Fearless, Red, Speak Now and 1989. That re-recording project — which she famously embarked upon after her previous label, Big Machine Records, was acquired by Scooter’s Braun‘s Ithaca Holdings in 2019, much to Swift’s chagrin — has performed beyond likely even Swift’s wildest dreams. And it’s proven a lucrative gambit for the superstar, whose Taylor’s Versions have consistently outperformed the originals on streaming since their respective releases.

Not bad for someone who famously pulled her catalog from Spotify less than a decade ago, calling it a “grand experiment.”

Additional reporting from Glenn Peoples.

01 Dec 2023

‘Ladies of the ’80s: A Divas Christmas’: Here’s How to Watch the Lifetime Movie on Sling TV

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‘Tis the season for a retro reunion! Loni Anderson, Morgan Fairchild, Linda Gray, Donna Mills and Nicollette Sheridan star in Ladies of the ‘80s: A Divas Christmas premiering Saturday (Dec. 2) on Lieftime.

The Lifetime Original Movie follows a group of fictitious soap opera legends as they reunite for the final Christmas episode of a beloved daytime soap. But things go off the rails when “old rivalries resurface that threaten to tear the whole production apart.”

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Ultimately, the ladies put their diva differences aside for the good of the show — and to play matchmaker between old college friends.

Ladies of the ’80s: A Divas Christmas is executive produced by Larry A. Thompson and directed by Christie Will Wolf. James Berg and Stan Zimmerman penned the script; Robert G. Endara II and Ed Polgardy are producers.

Read on for more details on how to watch the Lifetime movie on Sling TV.

Holiday Binge: How to Watch Lifetime & More on Sling TV

The holidays are a great time to binge Christmas movies and more — no cable needed! Watch Ladies of the ’80s: A Divas Christmas and other must-see holiday entertainment on Sling TV.

Right now, Sling TV is offering 50% off for your first month. That means you can join Sling for as low as $20 (reg. $40). Stream your favorite entertainment with Sling Blue or Sling Orange starting at $20 for a limited time. Or, get Sling Orange + Blue for just $27.50 (reg. $55) for the first month.

Click below to join.

Lifetime’s Ladies of the ’80s premieres at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Saturday. The film kicks off a month of new Christmas movies, which includes Mistletoe Match (Dec. 3), A Cowboy Christmas Romance (Dec. 9), and Yes Chef! Christmas (Dec. 10).

Sign up for Sling Blue or Sling Orange to watch your favorite live channels, cozy holiday movies, holiday classics and new holiday favorites for half off for the first month. Sling offers a variety of channels including Lifetime, AMC, Bravo, USA, E!, Hallmark, TLC and more.

Some of the Lifetime movies available on Sling TV include A Fiance for Christmas, A Welcome Home Christmas, Dear Christmas, Steppin’ Into the Holidays, The Flight Before Christmas and The Holiday Dating Guide.

Love Hallmark? With Sling, you can enjoy a number of Hallmark programs including Color My World with Love, The Vows We Keep, Unexpected Grace, Nikki & Nora: Sister Sleuths, When Calls the Heart, A Happy & Friends Yule Log, A Holiday in Harlem, A Rose for Christmas, Christmas in Rome, Debbie Macomber’s Mr. Miracle, Finding Father Christmas, Hallmark Drama’s Christmas Cookie Matchup, Lucky Christmas, The Holiday Stocking, Flipping for Christmas, and Welcome to Valentine.

From now until Christmas Day, visit AMC on-demand to watch movies and more on Sling TV. The lineup includes A Boy Named Christmas, The First Christmas Snow, The Holiday, The Heart of Christmas, Jack Frost, A Christmas Story 2, Annie, The American President, Love Actually, Sleepless in Seattle, and You’ve Got Mail.  

Watch the trailer for Ladies of the ’80s: A Divas Christmas below.

01 Dec 2023

Taylor Swift Posts Photo With ‘Queen’ Beyoncé at ‘Renaissance’ Film Premiere

Taylor Swift was bejeweled at the Renaissance: A Film By Beyoncé London premiere on Thursday night (Nov. 30), and the pop superstar took to Instagram to shower the “Alien Superstar” singer with love.

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“Got invited to London by The Queen…✨?✨ Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé is in theaters now!!” Swift captioned a series of photos posing alongside Beyoncé at the premiere, with Swift rocking a glimmering silver Balmain gown and Bey opting for a deep V-neck black blazer gown. See the photos here.

Swift’s attendance at the premiere comes just a month after Bey supported Tay at her Eras Tour film premiere in Los Angeles in October. “I’m so glad I’ll never know what my life would’ve been like without @beyonce‘s influence,” Swift wrote after the event, sharing a gif of her and Bey posing in movie theater seats, playfully tossing popcorn at the cameras. “The way she’s taught me and every artist out here to break rules and defy industry norms.”

Renaissance: A Film by Beyonce was written, executive produced and co-directed by the 32-time Grammy winner, and chronicles her record-breaking Renaissance World Tour. The film, which hit theaters worldwide on Friday (Dec. 1), is aiming for a $30-$40 million global opening on what is typically a slow post-Thanksgiving period, according to Deadline.

The film is the second one to be distributed by AMC, following on the heels of the massive opening and box office for Swift’s own Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour, which has raked in $250 million to date; the three-hour-plus Swift movie is headed to on-demand on Dec. 13 with three bonus songs.

01 Dec 2023

Thalia, Milo J, Miguel Campello & More: Which Is Your Favorite New Latin Music Release? Vote!

This week, Billboard‘s New Music Latin roundup and playlist, curated by Billboard Latin and Billboard Español editors, feature the latest Latin songs, albums and videos. The lineup includes fresh releases from artists like Thalia (with Estilo Sin Límite), Milo J, Edén Muñoz, Miguel Campello, Wisin with Young Miko and more.

Thalia ventures into the world of corridos tumbados in this carefree song with Estilo Sin Límite, which “encourages women to free themselves from chatty, arrogant men who seek to woo them,” writes Billboard Español deputy editor, Sigal Ratner-Arias. Powered by a tololoche, requinto and brassy instruments, the second single “Choro” from her upcoming album A Mucha Honra was produced by Edgar Rodríguez from Yellow Room and executive produced by Jimmy Humilde. Its title, in Mexican slang, refers to an over-the-top person who uses his words to make people fall in love.

With the EP En Dormir Sin Madrid under his belt, and a collaboration with well-known Argentine producer Bizarrap, Milo J shows off his musical bravado in his debut album 111. “Infused with a South American bohemian essence reminiscent of tango and bolero, the album seamlessly combines traditional tones with a contemporary flair,” mentions Billboard Español‘s writer Luisa Calle. Despite his young age of 16, the rapper performs songs with the depth of an experienced artist, deftly navigating the intricacies and turbulence of youth.

Adorned with exquisite nylon strings and trumpet riffs, and enveloped in the fervor of rumba guitar strums and his resounding flamenco vocals, Miguel Campello’s “El Sentir de los Sentimientos” navigates the ebbs and flows of personal contemplation. “[It’s] a song with rumba soul that tells the passing of the days, full of stories that make us laugh and cry because singing is feeling that you feel,” the singer-composer wrote on his IG.

In the last New Music Latin fan-related poll, Banda MS and Gloria Trevi’s “Y Que Te Soporten” won with over 90 percent of the votes. Dennis and Anitta’s “Monstrão” followed with nearly three percent. What’s your favorite new Latin music release of the week? Vote below!

01 Dec 2023

Anderson .Paak Dives In to ‘Baby Shark’s Big Show!’ as ‘Anderswim .Shaark’: First Look

On Monday, Anderson .Paak is set to make a big splash on Baby Shark‘s Big Show, appearing on the Nickelodeon kids‘ show as “Anderswim .Shaark” — and Billboard has your first look below.

In the exclusive clip, Baby Shark and his friends are jamming out with the mysterious new shark — with .Paak behind the drum kit, of course — before they all introduce themselves.

“Yo, you fishies have some next-level talent!” the Silk Sonic drummer/singer tells them after the jam session.

When Vola asks “what brings a big-city shark like you to our quaint little corner of the ocean,” Anderswim explains his motivation: “As long as I can remember, all I wanted to do was spread music across the Seven Seas. So, I came through the Carnivore Cove to open up Saltwater Studios. It’s part music shop, part recording studio, and all the vibes. I’ve toured across the whole wide water. And if my travels have taught me one thing, it’s that every fishy has a song to sing. I just want to be the one to help them sing it.”

Anderson .Paak on 'Baby Shark's Big Show!'

Anderson .Paak on ‘Baby Shark’s Big Show!’

Courtesy of Nickelodeon

Next week’s new episode, appropriately titled “Saltwater Studios,” premieres Monday (Dec. 4) at 9 a.m. ET on Nickelodeon and 12:30 p.m. ET on Nick Jr.

Baby Shark fans can also catch Baby Shark’s Big Movie, premiering Dec. 8 on Nickelodeon and Paramount+, which features Cardi B, Offset, Lance Bass, ENHYPEN and Ashley Tisdale. The upcoming film will find Cardi and Offset reprising their roles from Baby Shark’s Big Show!, Sharki B and Offshark, while the power couple’s two kids will voice Kulture Sharki and Wavey Shark.

Below, find Billboard‘s exclusive first look at Anderswim .Shaark:

01 Dec 2023

Rep. Lauren Boebert Shares Selfie With Dave Chappelle Featuring Transphobic Jab

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Rep. Lauren Boebert is back in the news but this time, she seemingly dragged Dave Chappelle into a moment he probably didn’t expect or ask for. In a now-deleted X reply, the Colorado congresswoman took a cheap shot at the trans community.

Dave Chappelle was in Washington this week to perform and ahead of his set, he took a meeting with the Congressional Black Caucus on Thursday (November 30) according to Punchbowl News.

Boebert was heard on a video shared to X asking for a photo as he was appearing heading out to leave. Boebert and Florida congresswoman Rep. Anna Paulina Luna are seen in the photo with the caption reading, “Just three people who know there are only two genders” — a clear attempt to push a transphobic agenda on the heels of Chappelle’s older material many deemed harmful.

In a video from reporter Kyle Stewart, Chappelle explained his visit to Capitol Hill as catching up with some old friends of his. Chappelle is a native of the Washington Metropolitan Area and has deep ties in the community despite residing in Ohio.

It isn’t known why Rep. Lauren Boebert deleted the tweet but we’re guessing the transphobia had a least a little to do with it.

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Photo: Getty