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Nick Jonas Surprises Haley Lu Richardson on ‘Corden’: ‘Is This a Pre-Recorded Video?’
Nick Jonas called into The Late Late Show with James Corden on Wednesday night (Dec. 14) to surprise Haley Lu Richardson during her interview.
The White Lotus star admitted in her chat with James Corden that she grew up as a Jonas Brothers superfan, and naturally, the host even whipped out a photo of Richardson posing with the boy band as a giddy, brace-faced teen. “Honestly, in therapy I will bring up this picture of myself…Like this is the picture I talk to of my inner child,” she said. “But yeah, she was in love with the Jonas Brothers, she waited for probably three or four hours in line at a meet and greet line with her mother to meet Nick and Joe and Kevin.
Richardson also shared that Nick was her favorite of the three brothers, and she even tried to give him a handmade tie during the photo-op, but said that all gifts were taken away by security. “I think he’s got the tie, I’m almost certain he wore it on his wedding day,” Corden joked.
After a commercial break, the host pulled off the big surprise, pulling his phone out of his desk to reveal the youngest JoBro member on the line via FaceTime. Letting loose a stream of expletives, Richardson could hardly look at the camera at first, falling over herself and even asking, “Is this a pre-recorded video?”
“No, I promise you…I just finished White Lotus last night, you were fantastic,” Nick responded, leading Richardson to practically burst into tears. Finally, Corden brought up the missing tie, which the actress insisted was from “like fifteen years ago,” but Nick happily went along with the story, confirming, “Yes, I still have the tie. Of course! I may or may not have the time. But it’s great to meet you again.”
Richardson then let her inner child fully out, telling the pop star, “You’re a huge part of my childhood and, therefore, life forever. All of my Converse, as I said earlier, in grade school and middle school have your name on them. And I’m so proud of you, and going to your guys’ concerts now, like, recently as adults, I feel so proud of the three of you. And I’m so happy for your lives and your creative endeavors and your families. And I love you.”
“That means the world. This is such a lovely surprise,” Jonas replied. “And next time you want to come to a show, bring another tie and I will make sure it gets to me.”
Watch Jonas’ sweet surprise for Richardson below.
Dr. Dre’s ‘The Chronic’ Turns 30: Every Song Ranked From Worst to Best
As of Dec. 15, 2022, we’ve had 30 years of The Chronic, hip-hop legend Dr. Dre’s breakout solo debut album. That’s three decades of house parties, backyard BBQs, collegiate ragers, beach/lakeside hangouts and slow drives in the sunshine soundtracked by The Chronic and its innovative G-funk sound.
It’s the great unifier. Its funky, silky-smooth live instrumentation with slick guitar and deep bass, inspired by Parliament/Funkadelic and George Clinton, broke down cultural walls; everyone loves The Chronic. It lifted hip-hop to a new echelon of cultural relevancy and set the stage for the next generation of rappers and producers. It crowned Dre atop the industry as its preeminent artist-producer.
The context in which it was created, however, was far rockier.
The Chronic was recorded in the aftermath of the L.A. riots in April 1992—vocal samples from people on the streets were used on tracks like “The Day the N–gaz Took Over” and “Lil’ Ghetto Boy.” And its lyrics captured the world that then surrounded Dre and his crew – drugs, guns, gangs and overt misogyny (which can make The Chronic uncomfortable to revisit given the rapper’s public admission of beating women as a young man, including his attack on TV host Dee Barnes in 1991. Dre has since apologized for his actions).
Then there was Dre’s beef (over a financial dispute) with his N.W.A collaborator Eazy-E, Ruthless Records and its co-founder Jerry Heller. Dre got his start by co-producing N.W.A’s 1988 album, Straight Outta Compton. But by the early ‘90s—following public insults from N.W.A member Ice Cube on his brutal diss track “No Vaseline”—Dre wanted out. He wanted to join up with Death Row Records, the notorious label owned by former football player/rap don Suge Knight. Dre took aim at Eazy on the tracks “F-k Wit’ Dre Day (And Everybody’s Celebratin’)” and “B-tches Ain’t Sh-t,” among others. It was a tense time.
Dre doesn’t have such fond memories of that era: That’s “the toughest record that I’ve recorded in my career,” he told BigBoyTV. “I was in survival mode.” And with “all the things that were happening in the studio during the making, it was crazy. During that process, my house burned down, I was shot in the legs, and I was in the studio on crutches for a couple of weeks. So, it was a lot that went into that record. It was blood, sweat, and beers that went into it, you know what I mean?”
When The Chronic dropped on Dec. 15, 1992, however, it paid off. The Chronic produced three top 40 singles on the Billboard Hot 100, peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 (where it spent eight months in the chart’s top 10) and won the Grammy Award for best rap solo performance (“Let Me Ride”).
The Chronic also introduced his clique of collaborators to the world: Snoop Dogg, who appears on 11 of its 16 tracks, plus Nate Dogg, Warren G, Kurupt, The D.O.C., Daz Dillinger, RBX and The Lady of Rage. Snoop, in particular, captured attention with his lyrical, laid-back flow, further focusing the attention of the hip-hop world on Los Angeles and Death Row Records.
And for Dre, it kicked his career into overdrive, beginning a string of hits that continued with artists like Eminem, 50 Cent, The Game, Kendrick Lamar and others. This would ultimately lead him into tech (Beats By Dre, Apple), film (Straight Outta Compton) and sports (the 2022 Super Bowl performance) on his way to become one of richest artists on earth.
The Chronic redefined the West Coast sound, which up to that point, was aggressive, in-your-face, abrasive and less accessible. By packaging the gangsta lifestyle in funkier, smoother sounds, Dre’s G-funk lifted hip-hop out of the inner city and gifted it to the rest of the world.
The album’s legacy continues to inspire artists far and wide. To celebrate its 30th birthday, let’s revisit and rank The Chronic’s 16 tracks.
Inside the Massive Music Moments of Netflix’s ‘Wednesday’
There has been so much to love about Netflix’s latest hit show Wednesday, from the coming-of-age storyline and deadpan demeanor of the titular Addams Family character (played by Jenna Ortega) to the goth style choices and supernatural mysteries surrounding the show’s Nevermore Academy setting. But what has captivated audiences just as much is the thrilling soundtrack. Within the show’s first season, there’s a tapestry of classic Latin ballads, string concertos and multiple generations of rock. The combination of the song choices themselves and the scenes they’re set to has stirred up conversation all over the internet.
While Netflix is no stranger to such virality (see how the streaming service revived Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill”), it was thrilling to see Wednesday give a similar bump to The Cramps’ 1981 post-punk classic “Goo Goo Muck,” thanks to a dazzling dance scene in episode four where Ortega shows off some of her kookiest moves. Of course, it wasn’t long until TikTok users put their own spin on the quirky scene by dressing up as Ortega’s character and dancing to Lady Gaga’s 2011 track “Bloody Mary.” The trend has caught on so much so that Gaga’s song has re-entered the Billboard Global 200’s top 40, while even the pop star herself dressed up like Wednesday and danced to her Born This Way number.
Following the success of the series, Billboard spoke to music supervisors Jen Malone and Nicole Weisberg about setting the tone for the series, the Gaga TikTok craze and what Cramps song they almost used instead of “Goo Goo Muck.”
How did doing music supervision for shows like Yellowjackets and Euphoria help inform the process of putting together the soundtrack for Wednesday?
Jen: Each show is very different in terms of the overall vision, sound and tone. It’s really just a collaboration with the showrunners, as it is with each other show and each other team that we work with. On any show, music can be used in different ways. So it’s really just following their lead, and a lot of listening to how they see the character and how they see music as a character in the show. We’re really lucky in that in a lot of shows that we work on, music is a character, and I think that’s definitely the same for Wednesday.
How did you concept the sound for Wednesday?
Nicole: It was a very collaborative process, and the intention the whole time is to pay homage to Wednesday’s story. [Looking at it through] her lens to make all of these choices was such a fun way to approach an Addams Family project. So it was sort of a combination of just looking for that perfect vintage song that sounds [like] classic Addams Family, but is serious vintage cool that has a wink to it and feels like we’re still having fun.
What did you envision Wednesday listening to as a teen?
Nicole: We really leaned into a lot more vintage. Wednesday doesn’t have a phone, she doesn’t have social media. So we really leaned into a lot of the Latinx vintage and female vocals, but then also combined [that] with some of the later placements, like The Cramps [and] this goth, post-punk sound. Obviously, the chorus with the cello was a huge, huge part of our show.
What did the moodboard for the show’s soundtrack look like?
Jen: We really drew from the Addams Family in general, knowing that this is Wednesday’s story. We started with a big playlist of songs from anywhere and everywhere, that we thought could somehow somewhere fit into this series. It really ranged from several different genres and several different time periods. We also were also true to telling Wednesday’s story, and the Addams Family franchise is our cornerstone for the music story.
Wednesday’s solo dance scene to “Goo Goo Muck” by The Cramps has become a viral moment from the show. Was that song always meant to be used for that scene?
Jen: It was not scripted in. When we got to shooting that episode, we really collaborated with [creators] Al [Gough], Miles [Millar] and Tim [Burton] and got them a bunch of options that they would obviously also discuss with Jenna, who was going to be doing the choreography for the dance. We actually were talking about “Human Fly” from The Cramps, and those guys ended up coming back and they’re like, “Let’s do ‘Goo Goo Muck.’”
Nicole: These things unfold where we have the script, and then we’re figuring it out before it’s going to shoot, and we haven’t even worked on all the other episodes. It was a big moment to really ground the show. The Cramps were on our playlist from the beginning, and it just happened organically where we would go back and forth with the producers and Tim. Like Jen said, Jenna was a big part of taking the temperature on most of these big moments, because she just embodied Wednesday so much. It was like, if she feels like this would be natural for her to do, then we kind of got the green light. She was the pinnacle of every moment.
Jen: Even the cello pieces, Jenna was involved in those discussions. She actually had made her own cello playlist, which was really really cool.
It’s been a big year for Netflix’s viral music moments, especially following the resurgence of Kate Bush love after Stranger Things used “Running Up That Hill.” How do you balance those kinds of standout moments so that they feel organic?
Jen: Our job as music supervisors is to serve the director and the showrunner’s vision and serve the story. That’s the only thing that we focus on: collaborating and providing ideas to Al, Miles and Tim. Having moments go viral, that’s just the icing on the cake. That’s super exciting, but not something that we set out to do.
Wednesday‘s dance scene popularized Lady Gaga’s “Bloody Mary” again, thanks to TikTok. How has that impacted the hype around the show?
Jen: It’s just so exciting to see how fans are reacting to the show and creating their own videos. I just like seeing the dances and the costumes they put together. It’s super fun to watch these kids create their own moments. It’s funny, you’re not seeing people watch TV. Now, you’re getting to watch your fans react in real-time to something. It’s definitely a surreal experience because we worked on the stuff a year ago, and you don’t think about this happening this way.
Lady Gaga has shown her support for Wednesday on social media and even made her own “Bloody Mary” dance video inspired by the show. Have you considered featuring a Gaga song next season?
Jen: We don’t know the long-term plan for the show, but I hope we will be able to create more notable music moments.
Obviously, Wednesday and her roommate Enid have such distinct personalities. How did that affect their music taste on-screen?
Nicole: That was always going to be polar opposites, just because of the nature of their characters. Enid is bright and fun-loving, so it was natural to fill her playlist with pop music and feel-good, uptempo [songs] — and then Wednesday is like, ‘I’m serious and I want vintage quality,’ and doesn’t care about Enid’s music taste very much. It was fun to play a contrast in those moments when they’re hanging out in their bedroom, and you can’t have both girls’ music playing at once.
What made you guys decide to use “Don’t Stop” by Fleetwood Mac during the Crackstone Memorial sequence?
Jen: I think that one actually came from Al, Miles and Tim.
Nicole: When the statue was on fire, [it was] building up to that moment. We loved the Metallica cover with the cello and everything was building up to that moment. Fleetwood Mac was intended to play contrast to all the darkness that’s about to come right after it. What I thought was carved out really nicely was when we had the Beach House song, right into Fleetwood, right into Vivaldi, right into Metallica. It just felt like a perfect storm of just setting up the rest of the season for the chaos that’s about to ensue.
Jennifer Lopez Honors Stephen ‘tWitch’ Boss in Tribute Post: ‘Such a Light & a Beautiful Soul’
Jennifer Lopez is joining a vast group of entertainers whose lives were touched by Stephen “tWitch” Boss in honoring the dancer-turned-DJ following his death on Wednesday (Dec. 14). Shortly after the news broke that her former World of Dance costar had passed away by suicide, the Marry Me actress took to Instagram to share her devastation.
“Twitch was such a light and a beautiful soul…” she wrote, captioning a carousel of photos of her, tWitch and their other World of Dance costars, Derek Hough and Ne-Yo.
“Shocked and deeply saddened,” she continued. “My heart breaks for @sir_twitch_alot, his wife and children … Sending you love and strength.”
The former Ellen DJ’s passing was first confirmed by his wife, fellow dancer Allison Holker Boss, in a statement given to People. “It is with the heaviest of hearts that I have to share my husband Stephen has left us,” she shared with the publication. “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.”
Later, it was confirmed by authorities that tWitch’s cause of death had been suicide. He was 40-years-old and leaves behind three children: Zaia, 3, Maddox, 6, and Weslie, 14.
Lopez is just one of many to pay tribute to the So You Think You Can Dance alum, with Justin Timberlake having penned a series of tweets honoring tWitch. “It’s heartbreaking to hear that someone who brought so much joy to a room, was hurting so much behind closed doors,” the “Can’t Stop the Feeling” singer wrote. “I’ve known Twitch for over 20 years through the dance community – he always lit everything up. You just never know what someone is really going through.”
Ellen DeGeneres also shared that she was “heartbroken” over the news, tweeting a photo of her hugging tWitch. “tWitch was pure love and light,” she wrote. “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.
PS5 Restock: Where to Buy the Hard-to-Find Console for Christmas Without Spending a Fortune
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Shopping for a PlayStation 5 for Christmas? Getting your hands on a coveted PS5 console doesn’t have to cost a fortune — even during the holidays.
According to a new report, Sony’s PS5 is one of the hottest Christmas gifts for 2022, and finding one for the $499 retail price can be a little stressful, despite the growing number of retailers that sell the hard-to-get game console.
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Thankfully, there are a few different retailers such as Amazon, Best Buy and Walmart that have PS5 consoles available right now, while others — including GameStop — are out of stock but could be restocking before the new year.
To make your search easier, we put together a list of a few places where you can purchase a PS5 online. PS5 consoles can run you anywhere from the current $500 list price up to $1,200. Keep reading for more details, links and pricing information.
Amazon
PS5 consoles restocks tend to sell out extremely fast at Amazon (and everywhere else, to be honest). For gamers who have been waiting to snag a console for $500 (or $549.99 for the Horizon Forbidden bundle), Amazon is offering customers an option to sign up for a chance to buy a PS5 at the regular retail price. The newest wave of invites were sent to qualifying customers starting on Monday (Dec. 12). Click here to request an invitation.
PS5 Console (Amazon)
Unfortunately, the invite-only option doesn’t guarantee that you will secure the console, as not all requests will be granted. However, exclusive offers allow Amazon to ensure that as many “genuine customers as possible” can buy an item that is in high-demand. If you are selected to purchase, you will receive an email when the PS5 is available. For those who don’t want to go that route, there are other PS5 consoles available on Amazon, but they’re usually marked up above the list price.
Playstation – 5 Console – God of War Ragnarök Bundle (Best Buy)
Best Buy sold out of the PS5 consoles but the God of War Ragnarok PS5 bundle ($559.99) is available for in-store pickup. The bundle is expected to sell out soon, so you’ll have to act fast to get your hands on one. The digital bundle is $459.99 and also in high demand.
Walmart launched a members-only PS5 restock back in February, and it sold out within hours, which means the price went right back up. On the plus side, you can currently find a PS5 console at Walmart for less than $700.
PS5 Console (Walmart)
When restocks sell out, PS5 consoles can cost hundreds more than you would usually pay. Because there are no regular-priced PS5s at Best Buy and other retailers, we searched for some of the cheaper options. Stock X, for example, has consoles for around $577 and up, which is a bit less than on some of the other websites. Ebay is another resource for PS5 consoles for $550 and up.
PS5 Console (StockX)
If you’re comfortable with high price points, Daily Steals has a PS5 with an extra controller for $1,043.99 and QVC has a PS5 available for $829.
Bundles are another way to ensure that you get a console — and maybe even save a little on the back end. Walmart has several bundles, such as this PS5 Disc Version Console with gaming headset bundle ($859), or this Sony PlayStation 5 Disc Version Console with Pro Gamer Starter Pack Bundle ($719).
Mariah Carey Is ‘Grateful’ for ‘All I Want for Christmas Is You’ Hitting No. 1 for the Fourth Year in a Row
Mariah Carey has nothing but love and gratitude when it comes to the continued chart domination of “All I Want for Christmas is You.”
On Thursday (Dec. 15), the living legend posted a photo on Twitter with Billboard‘s own Silvio Pietroluongo, senior vice president of charts and data development, who presented her with a plaque commemorating the holiday smash’s fourth annual trip to the top of the Billboard Hot 100. “Grateful,” she simply captioned the post, using a red heart and lamb emoji, and giving Billboard‘s social handle a shout-out.
“All I Want for Christmas is You” returned to the No. 1 spot on the all-genre tally — as well as both of Billboard‘s global charts — on the tally dated Dec. 17, ending Taylor Swift’s six-week run at the summit with “Anti-Hero.” The 1994 single from Carey’s first Christmas album, Merry Christmas, became her 19th career No. 1 back in 2019, a full 25 years after it was first released.
On Tuesday (Dec. 13), Mimi brought the song — as well as the rest of her festivities — to Madison Square Garden for the first of her two planned Merry Christmas to All! holiday concerts at the iconic New York City venue. Ahead of the show, she gave one South American fan the ultimate Christmas gift by upgrading the woman’s seat to the front row after the fan tweeted about flying more than 5,000 miles from Uruguay just to see the Queen of Christmas live.
Check out Mariah celebrating her latest chart triumph with Pietroluongo below.
Cardi B Celebrates Offset With a Sweet Birthday Tribute: ‘I Love You 4Ever & Beyond’
Offset turned 31 years old on Wednesday (Dec. 14), and Cardi B went all out to celebrate her favorite birthday boy. The “WAP” rapper posted a touching tribute to her husband of five years on Instagram, and shared lots of videos of how the couple commemorated his day by hitting the beach and partying in Jamaica.
“Happy birthday my love,” Cardi wrote, posting a reel of sweet photos of the Migos rapper. “I pray silently and I pray loudly on this post that God bless you & protect you.”
“Thank you for your love to me,” she added. “I love your 4ever & beyond.”
On Instagram Stories, the “I Like It” artist treated followers to an inside glimpse at her Jamaican vacation with Offset, with whom she shares 4-year-old daughter Kulture and 1-year-old son Wave. The two kayaked across beautiful blue waters, hung out beachside and checked out a rocky waterfall.
“Happy birthday sexy maaaaan,” Cardi said while filming her husband on the beach. “It’s your birthday!”
Cardi also shared videos of their couple’s bedroom suite, which she’d had decked out with trails of rose petals and red balloons as a surprise for the “Stir Fry” rapper. “My baby daddy, you deserve it!” she told Offset, filming his reaction to the room.
And finally, the pair closed out the occasion by partying the night away with friends and lots of dancing. Their evening didn’t end until around 6 a.m. — at least, that’s the time stamp on one of Cardi’s final posts on her Story, a video of the sun rising on their waterside vacation home.
The festivities come just a month and a half after Takeoff, Offset’s cousin and former Migos bandmate, was shot and killed Nov. 1 at a bowling alley in the Houston area. Offset was present alongside Quavo, the third member of the Migos trio and Takeoff’s uncle, at Takeoff’s celebration of life ceremony on Nov. 11.
Offset also shared a tribute to his late cousin in a Nov. 15 Instagram post, writing, “I wish I could hug you one last time.”
Cardi has also spoken out about how difficult things have been since the tragedy occurred, saying in a since-deleted Twitter voice note that she feels “so hopeless trying to make my husband happy.”
“Trying to make him crack a smile, f—in’ seeing him randomly cry,” she said at the time. “See him trying to distract his mind completely, f–kin’ schedules been changing, trying to keep up with work after everything that he’s been going through these past couple of weeks. We not in the mood to be f–kin’ playin’ around with y’all.”
‘Something to Talk About’ Songwriter Shirley Eikhard Dies at 67
Shirley Eikhard, songwriter of Bonnie Raitt‘s 1991 hit “Something to Talk About,” has died at 67, her publicist announced on Thursday (Dec. 15). The musician passed away at the Orangeville Hospital in Ontario, Canada, surrounded by family.
The New Brunswick born singer-songwriter first rose to prominence during the ’70s. At age 15, Eikhard’s song “It Takes Time” was recorded by country singer Anne Murray in 1971, and later became a hit in her native Canada. Eikhard released her self-titled debut album the following year in 1972.
Several songs of Eikhard’s would go on to be covered by popular musicians, most notably Bonnie Raitt and Cher. The singer-songwriter struck gold after penning “Something to Talk About” in the ’80s.
Raitt released the song as the first single from her 1991 album, Luck of the Draw. The track was a hit and spent a total of 20 weeks on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 hit, peaking at No. 5 on the tally. The tune would ultimately win Raitt the best pop vocal performance, female award at the 1991 Grammy Awards, and was also nominated in the record of the year category.
For Cher, Eikhard’s track “Born With the Hunger” would be rerecorded and released for the singer’s 2000 album Not Commercial. Eikhard also wrote “Lovers Forever” with Cher for the 1994 film Interview With the Vampire; the track is featured on Cher’s 2013 studio album Closer to the Truth.
Eikhard’s songwriting ability earned her two JUNO Awards for best country female artist in 1973 and 1974. “Something to Talk About” led to her induction into the Canadian Songwriter’s Hall of Fame in October 2020.
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