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30 Nov 2022

Billy Ray Cyrus Is All Smiles in New Pic With Fiancée Firerose: ‘Happiness Is Everything’

Billy Ray Cyrus couldn’t be happier. In a new social media post, published Wednesday (Nov. 30), the country star posed with his new fiancée Firerose.

“Happiness is everything,” he captioned the joint post with the Australian singer. In the snap, the “Old Town Road” singer wears his long ombre hair in two pigtail braids under a cream-colored hat while his bride-to-be shows off her engagement ring in a pink-and-white flannel with an all-black manicure.

Cyrus first confirmed his engagement to the 34-year-old in a statement to People earlier this month, revealing that he proposed back in August after Firerose moved into his Tennessee home over the summer.

Apparently, the couple first met more than 12 years ago on the set of Hannah Montana. (Firerose is just four years older than Miley Cyrus and one year younger than her older sister Brandi.) They’ve also collaborated on music together, releasing the single “New Day” in 2021 and the follow-up “Time” earlier this year.

Throughout 2022, the Cyrus family patriarch has also joined forces with the likes of Avila Brothers and Snoop Dogg (“A Hard Working Man”), his younger cousin Bobby Cyrus and wife Teddi (“Roll That Rock”), and youngest daughter Noah Cyrus (the duet version of “Noah (Stand Still)” from her 2022 debut studio album The Hardest Part).

Billy Ray’s landmark 1992 hit “Achy Breaky Heart” celebrated its 30th anniversary back in June, just two months before the music video for “Old Town Road” joined the billion-views club on YouTube.

Check out Cyrus’ latest snapshot with Firerose below.

30 Nov 2022

Christina Aguilera, Karol G, Maná, Alejandro Fernández & Camilo Confirmed for Viña del Mar

Tickets for the 62nd edition of the Viña del Mar International Song Festival are on sale. The Chilean event’s organizing committee announced that tickets for the general public can be purchased starting Wednesday (Nov. 30) on the PuntoTicket website.

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The Festival de Viña 2023 is scheduled from Feb. 19 to 24 and will feature big Latin stars, including Karol G, Maná, Alejandro Fernández, Christina Aguilera and Camilo, all of whom are confirmed to perform. Additional artists will be announced soon.

“The tickets will be nominative. This means that each ticket will be assigned a name and rut from February 10, 2023 and until 11:00 am on each day of the festival, and not at the time of purchase,” the festival said in a statement. Prices start at 34,500 Chilean pesos (about $38), plus service fee.

Launched in 1960, the Viña del Mar International Song Festival is held annually at Quinta Vergara, a 15,000-capacity amphitheater located in the Chilean city of Viña del Mar, in the central coast region of Valparaíso.

Over the course of five days, the event features a mix of superstars, emerging singers and local artists competing for the Silver, Gold and Platinum “Gaviotas,” the name of its awards. These awards are decided by a jury with the help of viewers from their homes, although the so-called “monster” — the audience present at Quinta Vergara — undoubtedly has a great power of influence with its ovations and occasional boos.

The Viña del Mar Festival reaches millions of viewers around the world. Next year, it will be broadcast in Chile on TVN and Channel 13 and will be available throughout Latin America on STAR Channel and its streaming platform, Star+.

30 Nov 2022

Christine McVie: Her Life in Photos

Fleetwood Mac‘s Christine McVie died on Wednesday (Nov. 30) at age 79 following a “short illness,” per a statement released by her family.

“She was in the company of her family,” the statement read. “We kindly ask that you respect the family’s privacy at this extremely painful time, and we would like everyone to keep Christine in their hearts and remember the life of an incredible human being, and revered musician who was loved universally.”

McVie was a powerful vocalist, instrumentalist and lyricist had an illustrious, decades-long career as a member of Fleetwood Mac, which she joined in 1970, and later as a solo act. During her time in Fleetwood, the band had 29 albums on the Billboard 200 and 25 Hot 100 hits, including nine top 10s and one No. 1 smash: “Dreams” in 1977.

As a solo artist, McVie released several albums including Christine Perfect and most recently Lindsay Buckingham Christine McVie in 2017 alongside her former bandmate.

To honor the late Christine McVie, we’ve compiled a series of photos to celebrate her vibrant life and accomplishments. See them below.

30 Nov 2022

Here’s Why Olivia Rodrigo’s Fans Think She Has New Music Coming

It’s been nearly two years since Olivia Rodrigo dropped her debut album Sour, and now her army of fans has reason to suspect new music is finally on the way from their queen.

The speculation arose Wednesday (Nov. 30) when the singer sent a special video message to her top fans as part of this year’s Spotify Wrapped. “Hey, it’s Olivia! I just wanted to say thank you so much for listening to my music this year,” she said in the fan-captured clip. “I really, truly couldn’t be more grateful and I’m so excited for next year, and all of the new things and new music that 2023 will bring. So I’m sending so much love your way and thank you again! Bye!”

Rodrigo’s first album shot to No. 1 all over the world upon its May 2021 release and contained the smash singles “Drivers License,” “Deja Vu,” “Good 4 U,” “Brutal” and “Traitor,” as well as fan-favorite cuts like “1 Step Forward, 3 Steps Back,” “Happier” and “Jealousy, Jealousy.”

Plenty has happened in the Disney star’s life since she unveiled Sour, though. She’s embarked on her first headlining tour across North America and Europe, starred in season 3 of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, and premiered both her concert film Sour Prom and Disney+ documentary Driving Home 2 U (A Sour Film). Oh, and she also picked up her first trio of Grammy Awards at the 2022 ceremony for best new artist, best pop vocal album and best pop solo performance.

Most recently, Rodrigo honored Carly Simon with a performance of “You’re So Vain” at the ’70s icon’s induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2022 and interviewed former co-star Jenna Ortega about her starring role in Netflix’s Wednesday.

Watch Rodrigo hint at new music to her Spotify Wrapped fans below.

30 Nov 2022

Christine McVie’s Top 10 Biggest Hot 100 Hits

Late singer-songwriter Christine McVie, who died Nov. 30 at age 79, left a great impression on Billboard’s charts through the decades, thanks to her pure pop/rock sensibility that often lifted Fleetwood Mac, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame band in which she was a longtime member, to incredible heights.

For most of Fleetwood Mac’s hitmaking career, McVie was one of its three primary singers and songwriters, alongside Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks. Notably, McVie wrote and sang lead vocals on three of the band’s top four biggest hits on the Billboard Hot 100 – including the group’s biggest song, “Hold Me.”

Billboard has exclusively compiled McVie’s top 10 biggest hits on the Hot 100 chart, based on actual performance on the weekly survey. Included were any charted songs by Fleetwood Mac that McVie wrote and on which she sang lead vocals, as well as her solo recordings outside the band.

McVie’s biggest Hot 100 hit is the 1982 Fleetwood Mac song “Hold Me,” which was released as the first single from the band’s Mirage album. It spent a staggering seven weeks at its peak of No. 4 on the weekly Hot 100 chart – a then-record for that peak rank. McVie sang lead vocals on “Hold Me,” and it was written by McVie and Robbie Patton. (Overall, “Hold Me” is Fleetwood Mac’s biggest Hot 100 hit, while the group’s No. 2 hit is its lone chart-topper on the weekly Hot 100 – 1977’s “Dreams,” penned by Nicks, who also sang its lead vocal.)

McVie’s second-biggest all-time Hot 100 hit is “Little Lies,” which was released in 1987 as the third single from Fleetwood Mac’s Tango in the Night album. McVie had lead vocal duties on the cut, and she co-wrote it with her then-husband Eddy Quintela.

Fleetwood Mac’s “Don’t Stop” – which was solely written by McVie, who shared lead vocals with Buckingham – is her third-biggest Hot 100 hit. The track became one of four top 10-charting singles from the mega-successful Rumours album. The set spent 31 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 – still a record for any album by a group.

Fleetwood Mac’s “Say You Love Me” and “You Make Loving Fun” (both singularly written by McVie, who sang lead) round out McVie’s top five biggest Hot 100 hits. The former was released in 1976 as the final single from the band’s self-titled album. It was also the first to feature the lineup of Buckingham, Mick Fleetwood, Nicks, Christine McVie and her first husband John McVie.

The Buckingham/Fleetwood/Nicks/McVie/McVie lineup would release five studio albums (from 1975’s self-titled set through 1987’s Tango In the Night) and two live albums (1980’s Live and 1997’s The Dance). All four of the act’s No. 1 albums were by that famed lineup, with the self-titled set, Rumours, Mirage and The Dance all topping the Billboard 200.

Christine McVie’s 10 Biggest Billboard Hits recap is based on actual performance on the weekly Billboard Hot 100 chart. Songs are ranked based on an inverse point system, with weeks at No. 1 earning the greatest value and weeks at No. 100 earning the least. To ensure equitable representation of the biggest hits from each era, certain time frames were weighted to account for the difference between turnover rates from those years.

30 Nov 2022

Luke Bryan & His Son Gave Katy Perry a Proper ‘Country Education’ During Hilarious FaceTime Call

For Santa Barbara, Calif., native Katy Perry, Luke Bryan‘s country twang takes some getting used to.

During his recent appearance on Audacy’s Rob and Holly show, the “Knockin’ Boots” singer shared a funny story in which he was FaceTiming his 14-year-old son, Thomas, while on set at American Idol, where he and Perry appear as judges. “So Katy’s listening to me talk to my 14-year-old, and he goes, ‘Dad, do we have any doe pee around here?’ which is doe urine,” Bryan recalls. “But, watching Katy Perry try to figure out what the hell me and my son were talking about, she was like, ‘Did your son just ask you do you have any dope around the house?’ I said, ‘Katy, he’s asking for doe pee,’ and she goes, ‘Like urine from an animal?’ I was like, ‘Yes, what’s  we use to bring the big bucks in.’”

He added with a laugh, “I feel sorry for her and Lionel [Richie] and the country education that they have to get from me.”

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Earlier this year, Bryan discussed his friendship with Perry on Good Morning America, revealing that the two have a “fun friendship.” The country superstar also admitted that he also has a budding bromance with the “Roar” singer’s fiancé. “You know, she’s really a little jealous because she believes that Orlando [Bloom] might have a little man crush on me,” he said with a laugh. “Orlando came into Nashville and I had all these outdoor activities planned for him, so me and Orlando, our love is strong.”

30 Nov 2022

Astroworld Lawyers Say Nearly 1,000 Alleged Victims Ignored Deadlines to Hand Over Key Evidence

More than a year into litigation over the deadly Astroworld music festival, attorneys for the event’s organizers say that nearly 1,000 fans who sued over their alleged injuries have ignored deadlines and failed to hand over “critical evidence.”

In a filing last week, attorneys for the defendants in the case — Live Nation, Travis Scott, Apple and many others involved in the festival — alerted Judge Kristen Brauchle Hawkins that 956 alleged victims had “not provided any response whatsoever” to basic requests for information.

“There is no excuse for the non-responsive plaintiffs’ complete disregard of their discovery obligations,” the lawyers for the organizers wrote in the Nov. 23 filing. “They should be compelled to comply immediately.”

Some lawyers for victims quickly pushed back, though. In responses on Monday (Nov. 28), attorneys repping dozens of purported non-responders said many of their clients had in fact filed the necessary papers — or had been dropped from the case entirely. Others said their clients had “experienced serious trauma” and that lawyers were “working diligently with them to complete their discovery response.”

The dueling filings came in sprawling litigation over Astroworld, in which a crowd crush during Scott’s Nov. 5, 2021 performance left 10 dead and hundreds physically injured. Thousands of alleged victims are seeking billions in total damages, claiming the organizers were legally negligent in how they planned and conducted the event.

As of May, court filings said that more than 4,900 alleged victims had filed claims in the case. But the latest filings this week suggest that number has now been winnowed down to around 2,500.

The two sides are currently in the midst of what is known as discovery, the legal process in which each side hands over evidence to their opponents. Earlier this year, Live Nation, Scott and other defendants had sought a variety of information about each plaintiff, including details about their particular injury, documentary evidence that they attended the festival and any messages or other digital records related to the festival.

In the filing last week, attorneys for the Astroworld organizers said a huge number of alleged victims had “wholly failed to respond,” despite the fact that the questions had been heavily negotiated with the legal team for the concertgoers.

“It has now been more than six months since defendants served their original discovery requests and more than a month since all extensions have expired,” the Astroworld lawyers wrote. “Yet approximately 38% of the Plaintiffs … have provided absolutely zero response.”

Failing to hand over this “critical evidence” soon could hamper the litigation in ways that cannot be undone, the organizers warned.

“The longer the non-responsive plaintiffs delay, the higher the risk that critical evidence or information in their possession will be lost, destroyed, or forgotten,” they wrote. “Cell phones get lost or destroyed, and the photographs and videos on them get deleted.”