Pop
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Lana Dey Rey finally got to wear that white dress she sang about on Chemtrails Over the Country Club. This time it was of the wedding variety, though. People confirmed that the 39-year-old singer born Elizabeth Grant married Louisiana-born alligator tour guide Jeremy Dufrene on Thursday (Sept. 26) after a brief romance that began earlier […]
With the mystery of “LG 6.5” officially solved, Lady Gaga is ready to let fans in on the making of her newest album, Harlequin.
In a new interview with Rolling Stone, Gaga explained that the idea for her new album of jazz and pop classics came to her after she finished filming Joker: Folie à Deux. After performing for so long as her character Harleen “Lee” Quinzel (aka Harley Quinn), Gaga felt that she still had more to say. “I had such a deep relationship with Lee,” she said. “And when I was done filming the movie, I wasn’t done with her.”
As for why she teased the album as “LG 6.5,” the singer explained that she didn’t want fans to see this only as her next album. “It is my record. It’s a Lady Gaga record, but it’s also inspired by my character and my vision of what a woman can be,” she said. “It’s why the album does not adhere to one genre … it’s not my next studio album that’s a pop record, but it is somewhere in between, and it’s blurring the lines of pop music.”
The new project sees Gaga taking on a series of jazz standards — such as “Get Happy,” “World on a String” and “That’s Life” — much like she did in her Tony Bennett duet albums Cheek to Cheek and Love for Sale. While Gaga says she struggled with not having her friend and collaborator in the studio with her following his death in 2023, she thinks he would have appreciated Harlequin for its shapeshifting nature.
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“If I had put rock n’ roll chords over production in a record that I did with Tony years ago, I don’t know how he would’ve felt about that. Tony didn’t love rock n’ roll, but he would’ve said, ‘Wow, that’s amazing,’” she explained. “He was somebody who loved how risk-taking and different I am, and I always thought that was so cool. He was 60 years older than me, and he would flinch less than young people that I would meet … He was just a really compassionate, inclusive person. So he was definitely with us [in the studio], but he was mostly inside of me.”
As for fans still eager to hear what her long-awaited seventh studio album will sound like, Gaga remained tight-lipped, but offered a small hint. “The pop album is nothing like Chromatica. It’s a completely different record,” she said. “It’s meant to be ingested as a time in my life. And I’m also really excited about this idea that I don’t have to adhere to an era if I don’t want to. I can have a few going at once.”
When Billie Eilish sings, “I’ll love you ’til the day that I die” on “Birds of a Feather,” that deadline also includes the afterlife. In the Hit Me Hard and Soft single’s new Aidan Zamiri-directed music video that arrived Friday (Sept. 27), the 22-year-old pop star sits alone in an abandoned office building, smiling to […]
What’s the most difficult way to follow-up a terminally bleak, billion-dollar, Oscar-winning blockbuster superhero (adjacent) movie with no super heroes? Add in some live song and dance numbers, naturally. That’s what Joaquin Phoenix said the team behind the anticipated Joker: Folie à Deux decided to do, a choice that terrified the notoriously fearless actor from day one.
“How could we possibly do the music in the most honest way possible?” he asked in a joint interview with co-star Lady Gaga and director Todd Phillips that aired on Good Morning America on Friday (Sept. 27) about the bold decision to have untrained singer Phoenix and Grammy-winner Gaga sing together live on stage during the film’s fantasy sequences. “When we first started, I did not want anything to be spontaneous and I wanted to sound as good as possible,” said Phoenix, who was previously described as being “sick” with nerves over singing alongside Gaga.
Phoenix noted that it was Gaga’s idea to do it live, which he thought sounded great for her, since that’s what she does for a living. “You were really cool and kind of made me feel comfortable about that,” he said, with Gaga adding, “I can assure you that Joaquin using his natural voice was just so much more compelling than any lip synching would ever be.”
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While Phoenix said that he just didn’t want his Joker ride to end after his Oscar-winning first spin as washed-up clown Arthur Fleck in 2019’s intense Joker, Gaga said that original film really interested her in joining Phoenix and director Phillips’ demented world. “I loved Arthur so much, like, who would be the love in his life?” the singer said she wondered.
Plus, she added, there was something “so completely freeing” about playing Quinn, including the ability to sneak some bits of herself into the character that she’s always been a bit embarrassed, or private, about. “When I first saw the film I was like, ‘Oh, that’s in there! That part of me that I want no one to know about,’” said Gaga of her third starring role in a major motion picture following her breakout in 2018’s A Star is Born and a strong showing in the all-star ensemble in 2021’s House of Gucci.
Though she seems to always be poised and powerful, Gaga said those moments she sees herself in Quinn are when her chracter seems “so uncomfortable… she’s like on the edge. There’s definitely been times in my life where I felt that way.”
Even more challenging, Gaga recorded an entire Joker-themed album, Harlequin, out today, in which she channels her character Harley Quinn on a series of classic covers and a few originals. “Lee’s not a performer and I am and in a scene as a different character it’s just completely different,” Gaga said of tapping into what makes the Joker’s equally off-kilter love stand out from Gaga’s stage persona.
“It’s Lee’s reality, it’s their shared reality, it’s coming from that character not from me as a performer,” she said. “I don’t just sing that way in this movie, I also sing with my full voice.”
The 13-track album features a number of Harley-fied covers of “Good Morning” (from Singing in the Rain), “If My Friends Could See Me Now” (Sweet Charity), as well as a soul-funk version of “When the Saints Go Marching In” (here titled “Oh, When the Saints”), “That’s Entertainment,” the Carpenters’ “Close to You” and “World on a String” as well as two originals, “Folie à Deux” and the rock-edged “The Joker.”
The surprise companion album to the film was recorded alongside the sessions for Gaga’s upcoming as-yet-untitled seventh studio album, which is due out in February, with a first single dropping next month. Joker: Folie à Deux opens in theaters on Oct. 4
Billy Joel‘s historic Madison Square Garden run might be over, but the Piano Man is not done playing to the rafters. Joel announced a new run of 2025 stadium shows on Thursday (Sept. 26) that will once again find him sharing the stage with recent tour mates Sting and Stevie Nicks. Explore Explore See latest […]
Billie Eilish and Finneas have been a package deal since day one. The siblings’ musical kismet has worked out pretty well so far, netting them billions of streams, two Oscars and Golden Globes, nine Grammy Awards and three Billboard Music Awards, among many others.
But there comes a time in every artist’s career when they are ready to branch out on their own, and according to Finneas that time is now for his sister. Speaking to Guitar.com, Finneas, 27, said he’s been busy building out Billie’s home studio, and by the sound of it he’s pretty confident she’ll make good use of it.
“I’ve been setting up Billie’s recording studio for her so she can do home production without me, because she’s very good at it!,” Finneas said of Eilish, 22. “And it’s funny, I’ve been giving her, like, the bare minimum of stuff, just so that she learns it all. Y’know what I mean? I’m like ‘Listen, I could give you all the stuff that I use now, but it took me years to even have a use for it. And, if I give you this basic thing, it’ll make sense to you right away.’”
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To date, Finneas has produced all three of Billie’s album, from her breakthrough 2019 debut, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? — which featured such beloved tracks as “You Should See Me In a Crown,” “When the Party’s Over” and “Bad Guy” — as well 2021’s Happier Than Ever and this year’s Hit Me Hard and Soft. In between, Finneas has also released two solo albums, 2021’s Optimist and this year’s For Cryin’ Out Loud and the 2019 EP Blood Harmony.
Before she can get into that studio, though, Eilish will hit the road for her 2024-2025 Hit Me Hard and Soft The Tour, which kicks off on Sunday (Sept. 29) with a sold out show at the Centre Videotron in Quebec.
iHeartRadio and Z100’s annual holiday concert at Madison Square Garden will feature a mix of veterans (Katy Perry, Meghan Trainor) and hot breakout stars (Teddy Swims, Benson Boone and Shaboozey).
iHeartRadio Z100’s Jingle Ball 2024 Presented by Capital One is set to take place on Friday, Dec. 13, at 7 p.m. Other performers on the bill include Tate McRae, twenty one pilots, The Kid LAROI, Madison Beer, Gracie Abrams and NCT Dream. Z100’s Elvis Duran & The Morning Show announced the performers on air Friday morning (Sept. 27).
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Z100’s Jingle Ball is part of the national iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour Presented by Capital One. This year marks the 28th time the New York tour stop has been at MSG.
iHeartRadio 102.7 KIIS FM’s Jingle Ball lineup will be revealed at the iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Lineup Announcement Party featuring The Kid LAROI and Dasha presented by Capital One on Friday afternoon at the iHeartRadio LA Theater. iHeartRadio personality JoJo Wright will announce the lineup on site and the event will feature performances by The Kid LAROI and Dasha. The program will be broadcast across iHeartRadio stations and on Jingle Ball Radio on the iHeartRadio app at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.
iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour stops will be part of an exclusive network special on ABC, airing Dec. 18, and streaming next day on Hulu.
For the 10th straight year, Capital One will be the national presenting partner of the iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour. Eligible Capital One cardholders will get first access to high-demand tickets and exclusive experiences through a special Capital One Cardholder Pre-Sale in each city. The iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Capital One Cardholder Pre-Sale begins Tuesday, Oct. 1, at 10 a.m. local time and runs through Thursday, Oct. 3, at 10 a.m. local time, or while pre-sale supplies last. Pre-sale information and tickets will be available at iHeartRadio.com/CapitalOne.
All other tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday, Oct. 4, at noon local time and will be available at iHeartRadio.com/JingleBall.
Nine cities on the tour will partner with the Ryan Seacrest Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to inspiring pediatric patients through entertainment and education focused initiatives.
The iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour is executive produced by Tom Poleman, chief programming officer for iHeartMedia, and John Sykes, president of entertainment enterprises.
The iHeartRadio Jingle Ball special on ABC is produced by Sykes, Poleman and Bart Peters, svp of production & development; as well as OBB Pictures, a division of OBB Media, for the second consecutive year. The special is executive produced by OBB’s Michael D. Ratner, Scott Ratner, Kfir Goldberg, Simone Spira and Glenn Stickley; with Arlen Konopaki and Lana Womack co-executive producing. Sam Wrench is returning to direct.
For the latest information on Z100’s Jingle Ball 2024, visit Z100.com/jingleball or listen to Z100’s Jingle Ball on-air or online via the station’s website, as well as on iHeartRadio.com and the iHeartRadio mobile app.
Lineups for several of these shows will be announced throughout the day. Artists and/or event subject to change or cancellation without notice.
Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas
Date: Tuesday, Dec. 3, at 7:30 p.m. CT – iHeartRadio 106.1 KISS FM’s Jingle Ball 2024 Presented by Capital One at Dickies Arena. Lineup will be announced at 9 a.m. ET, visit 1061KISSFM.com/jingleball for more information.
Los Angeles
Date: Friday, Dec. 6, at 7:30 p.m. PT – iHeartRadio 102.7 KIIS FM’s Jingle Ball 2024 Presented by Capital One at the Intuit Dome. Lineup will be revealed at the iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Lineup Announcement Party featuring The Kid LAROI and Dasha presented by Capital One this afternoon at the iHeartRadio LA Theater. Broadcast live across iHeartRadio CHR stations and on Jingle Ball Radio on the iHeartRadio app at 5 p.m. PT/ 8 p.m. ET, iHeartRadio personality JoJo Wright will announce the lineup onsite and the event will feature performances by The Kid LAROI and Dasha. For lineup information, visit kiisfm.com/jingleball.
Chicago
Date: Monday, Dec. 9, at 7 p.m. CT – iHeartRadio 103.5 KISS FM’s Jingle Ball 2024 Presented by Capital One at Allstate Arena. Lineup will be announced at 8:55 a.m. ET, visit 1035kissfm.com/jingleball for more information.
Detroit
Date: Tuesday, Dec. 10, at 7:30 p.m. ET – iHeartRadio Channel 95.5’s Jingle Ball 2024 Presented by Capital One at Little Caesars Arena. Lineup features: Jack Harlow, Teddy Swims, Jason Derulo, Madison Beer, Saweetie, NCT Dream, Isabel LaRosa and Wonho.
New York
Date: Friday, Dec. 13, at 7 p.m. ET – iHeartRadio Z100’s Jingle Ball 2024 Presented by Capital One at Madison Square Garden. Lineup features: Katy Perry, Tate McRae, twenty one pilots, Teddy Swims, Meghan Trainor, The Kid LAROI, Madison Beer, Benson Boone, Gracie Abrams, Shaboozey and NCT Dream.
Boston
Date: Sunday, Dec. 15, at 6 p.m. ET – iHeartRadio Kiss 108’s Jingle Ball 2024 Presented by Capital One at TD Garden. Lineup features: Tate McRae, twenty one pilots, Meghan Trainor, The Kid LAROI, Kesha, Benson Boone and KATSEYE.
Philadelphia
Date: Monday, Dec. 16, at 7:30 p.m. ET – iHeartRadio Q102’s Jingle Ball 2024 Presented by Capital One at Wells Fargo Center. Lineup features: Katy Perry, Tate McRae, Teddy Swims, Meghan Trainor, Jason Derulo, Gracie Abrams, Shaboozey and Dasha.
Washington, D.C.
Date: Tuesday, Dec. 17, at 7:30 p.m. ET – iHeartRadio HOT 99.5’s Jingle Ball 2024 Presented by Capital One at Capital One Arena. Lineup features: Tate McRae, The Kid LAROI, Meghan Trainor, Teddy Swims, Kesha, Jason Derulo, Gracie Abrams, Dasha, Isabel LaRosa and P1Harmony.
Atlanta
Date: Thursday, Dec. 19, at 7:30 p.m. ET – iHeartRadio 96.1 The Beat’s Jingle Ball 2024 Presented by Capital One at State Farm Arena. Lineup will be announced at 4 p.m. ET, visit Power961.com/jingleball for more information.
Miami
Date: Saturday, Dec. 21, at 7:30 p.m. ET – iHeartRadio Y100’s Jingle Ball 2024 Presented by Capital One at Kaseya Center. Lineup will be announced at 9 a.m. ET. Visit Y100.com/jingleball for more information.
Kylie Minogue is back, and she’s turning up the heat with her brand-new single, “Lights Camera Action,” released today (Sept. 27).
The track is the first single from her highly anticipated upcoming album Tension II, out Oct. 18, via Mushroom Music.
“Lights Camera Action” sees the Australian pop legend dive deeper into the electronic world, continuing the nightclub-inspired sound that made her last album Tension a global hit.
Produced by Lewis Thompson and co-written by Kylie, Thompson, and Ina Wroldsen (the co-writer behind her previous hit, “Padam Padam“), the single is packed with high-energy beats fit for the dance floor.
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The track serves as a celebration of all things glamorous, with the accompanying music video—directed by Sophie Muller and shot in Budapest—seeing the pop queen take on multiple iconic roles, from a film star to a photographer. Fans don’t have to wait long to catch the full visual spectacle, with the video set to premiere at 6 AM PT.
Kylie’s upcoming album, Tension II, is shaping up to be a powerhouse sequel to her previous album, with collaborations featuring The Blessed Madonna, Orville Peck, Bebe Rexha, Tove Lo, and Sia.
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The release of “Lights Camera Action” sets the stage for the superstar’s next chapter, with the Tension Tour kicking off in her homeland of Australia in February 2025. The tour is poised to be Kylie’s biggest since 2011’s Aphrodite: Les Folies Tour, with tickets going on sale Oct. 2.
This year has already been massive for the icon, who nabbed the Global Icon Award at the BRITs and won a Grammy for Best Pop Dance Recording for “Padam Padam.” She also wrapped up her Las Vegas residency and headlined London’s BST Hyde Park to rave reviews.
Stream “Lights Camera Action” below.
09/27/2024
The joke(r) is on all of us: read Billboard’s preliminary ranking and review for Gaga’s album between albums.
09/27/2024
While fans wait for Lady Gaga‘s long-awaited seventh studio album, Mother Monster is making sure her Little Monsters stay fed with another new project. On Friday (Sept. 27), Gaga shared Harlequin, her new 13-track album themed after her character Harley Quinn from the upcoming film Joker: Folie à Deux. Brimming with covers of old classics […]