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Though the cross-over in the Venn Diagram of Phish Phans and Swifties is normally pretty minimal, the unlikely streams crossed for a brief (okay, three-plus hour) moment this summer when Phish singer/guitarist Trey Anastasio‘s two grown daughters zoomed over to Europe to catch one of Taylor Swift‘s Eras Tour shows.
The Phish Phigurehead dropped into SiriusXM’s Phish Radio on Thursday morning (August 1) to tell the story of how his two adult daughters, Isabella and Eliza, saved up their money to see Swift in Dublin and ended up having a flashback to one of their dad’s most iconic eras. As any Swiftie will know, seeing the Eras Tour in Europe is often cheaper than catching it stateside, which is why the two women hopped over the pond, according to their dad.
“That’s why they went. It was the only place you could get a ticket,” Anastasio said. “My 27-year-old daughter wanted to get a Taylor ticket for my 29-year-old daughter, so she went online and put in for the lottery for every show on Earth, as did another friend of hers. And they both only could only get tickets in Dublin — her and one of her best friends — independent of each other.” So, the sisters met each other in Dublin at the show where Swift famously got briefly stuck on a platform mid-show.
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“I said, ‘is that a coincidence? That my daughters watched me on a platform, their dad, and Taylor?,” he wondered. Anastasio was referring, of course, to a show in Dublin on June 29 during which a stage malfunction during “The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived” in which the elevated section Swift was standing on failed to lower when it was supposed to, leaving her momentarily stranded in air. Swift, a consummate professional, shook it off and kept rolling.
Anastasio was also thinking about the New Year’s Eve show in 2019 when each member of Phish performed from a color-coded, elevated platform above the stage to make room for their color-coordinated dancers. As his bandmates were lowered back to the main stage, Anastasio’s platform got stuck, so he just kept jamming from the air before drummer Jon Fishman’s platform was raised back up so the crew could rescue the frontman.
In a video from November 2020, Anastasio recalled that one of the chains holding up the platform broke and instead of being harnessed into his rig, he just had a rope that restricted his movement, so he couldn’t get too near the end of the platform. “Then I thought, ‘oh my God, if this tilts I’m going to be hanging by my belt!’
Nessa Barrett is riding for Love Island USA‘s Rob Rausch in her sultry new music video for her latest single, “Passenger Princess.” In the Aerin Moreno-directed clip, the social media star-turned-artist is seen rocking a pink wig, a leather bralette and mini skirt as she sings in the passenger seat of a convertible, with Rausch […]
Charli’s Angels, there’s no need to “Guess” anymore — Billie Eilish is officially joining Charli XCX‘s latest remix. On Thursday (Aug. 1), Charli took to Instagram to announce that Eilish would be making a special guest appearance on the remixed version of her song “Guess.” In the video clip, Charli calls up the “Lunch” singer […]
Britney Spears’ life and story is reportedly getting the biopic treatment, with Universal Pictures landing the rights to the pop princess’ best-selling memoir The Woman in Me, per Variety. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The publication added that Wicked director Jon M. Chu and Marc Platt […]
“Unholy” or not, Sam Smith is looking absolutely divine in a newly revealed portrait. On Wednesday (July 31), London’s National Gallery unveiled the latest edition to their collection: a stunning portrait of the “Stay With Me” singer created by Pierre Commoy and Gilles Blanchard (better known by their dual moniker, Pierre et Gilles). The new […]
Trigger warning: the following story contains descriptions of violence against children.
British authorities have charged an unnamed 17-year-old with murder in the mass stabbing rampage at a Taylor Swift-themed danced class in Southport, England on Monday that left three young girls dead and eight other children and two adults injured.
According to BBC News, the teenager — who cannot be named because of his age — was slated to make an initial appearance in Liverpool City Magistrates’ Court on Thursday (August 1) after also being charged with 10 counts of attempted murder and possession of a bladed article. Authorities named the three young girls killed in the incident: Bebe King, 6; Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7; and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, 9 and announced that seven of those injured in the attack are still believed to be in critical condition.
Swift, in the midst of a European run of shows on her Eras Tour, reacted in shock to the attack, posting a note on her Instagram Story on Tuesday morning in which she said, “The horror of yesterday’s attack in Southport is washing over me continuously, and I’m just completely in shock… The loss of life and innocence, and the horrendous trauma inflicted on everyone who was there, the families and first responders. These were just little kids at a dance class. I am at a complete loss for how to ever convey my sympathies to these families.”
Police have said that the 17-year-old suspect from Cardiff was arrested at the community center hosting the dance class and that a knife was seized following the attack in the seaside town in Northwest England near Liverpool. Witnesses described a terrifying scene in which bloodied children ran in terror from the center where the Swift-themed dance and yoga event for children 6-11 was taking place with the promise of “a morning of Taylor Swift-themed yoga, dance and bracelet making.”
According to BBC, when officers arrived on the scene Monday morning they found multiple people, many of them children, suffering from serious injuries following the “ferocious” attack. Police said a person armed with a knife walked into the building and attacked those inside, with two adults suffering critical injuries while bravely trying to protect the children from the alleged assailant.
On Tuesday, far-right protesters fueled by angry and false internet rumors threw bottles and stones at police, wounding 20 officers outside a Northwest England mosque near the spot where the three girls were killed. Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned what he called “thuggery” and said the angry crowd hijacked what had been a peaceful vigil attended by hundreds in the center of Southport to mourn the dead and seriously wounded.
The violent crowd authorities believe had ties to the far-right group English Defence League, torched a police van and several cars following rumors about the identity of the teenage suspect. The rampage came after an emotional crowd gathered earlier in the evening in Southport outside The Atkinson theater and museum in to hold a minute of silence for the victims.
Mass casualty shootings and killings with firearms are exceptionally rare in Britain following a mass shooting at a primary school in Scotland in 1996 that killed 16 students and a teacher. Following that event, Parliament banned private ownership of most handguns and semi-automatic weapons and since then there have been no school shootings in the U.K., though attacks with blades remain a serious issue.
At press time Swift fans had set up a Swifties for Southport fundraiser for the families of victims that had raised more than $433,000 so far.
Halsey couldn’t believe her luck when the process of sampling Britney Spears‘ “Lucky” turned out to be an easy one, to the point where the “Closer” singer couldn’t help but worry that another shoe was about to drop.
While discussing their new single — which arrived last week, featuring a heavy interpolation of the Princess of Pop‘s 2000 hit — in a Thursday morning (Aug. 1) interview with the U.K.’s Capital Breakfast, Halsey recalled feeling “really nervous” about borrowing such an iconic tune from Spears’ catalog, even though the icon had given her blessing from the start, as previously revealed. “I remember thinking when we were doing it, ‘How has this not been done before? Has this been done before?’” she says in a clip from the interview. “Is there a reason this hasn’t been done before?
“Am I about to bark up a tree of disappointment where I fall in love with this song and there’s a reason it hasn’t been sampled in a really big way yet?” the About-Face Beauty founder continued. “So I was really nervous, and ultimately, when I got the blessing from Britney and Max Martin — who was involved in the original version of the song — having them onboard, I was like, every single day of the process I was waiting for someone to be like, ‘Just kidding, you don’t get to do it anymore.’”
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While the release of Halsey’s “Lucky” went off without a hitch, its Gia Coppola-directed music video was a slightly different story. After the video went live, a statement went up on Spears’ X profile claiming she felt “harassed, violated and bullied” by the visual’s portrayal of her as “a superficial pop star with no heart or concern at all.” The message also noted that Spears was planning to pursue legal action against the “Without Me” artist.
That same day, the “Toxic” singer deleted the post and tweeted, “Fake news !!! That was not me on my phone !!! I love Halsey and that’s why I deleted it !!!,” to which Halsey replied, “and I love Britney!!!! I always have and always will … you were the first person who ever made me realize what it means to feel inspired. And you continue to inspire me everyday.”
Halsey didn’t address the incident in the Capital Breakfast clip, but she does double down on her love for Spears. “It was so full-circle,” Halsey gushed. “There’s a 6-year-old girl inside my soul who used to dress up and do performances for my grandparents in the living room to Britney Spears songs. Obviously, the song is such a beautiful memory and it’s such an honor to reimagine it in this way, especially because it’s an already perfect record.”
Watch the clip below, and you can listen to Capital Breakfast With Jordan North, Chris and Sian weekdays from 6-10 a.m. across the U.K. and on Global Player.
In the midst of the ongoing dispute between ADOR CEO Min Hee-jin and her company’s owners at HYBE, NewJeans member Danielle has written a note of support to Min expressing her support and love for the boss she referred to as a “mother and warrior.”
According to a translation of the note posted on Instagram from Korea’s JoongAng Daily, Danielle wrote: “My beloved CEO, it’s Dani. It’s been two years already. Our CEO who really did the most, thank you so, so much. So much has happened during the short and long two years that it almost feels like we went through everything we should have in seven years. Maybe it was a sacrifice for the future.”
The letter thanked Min for “always being dedicated to the work,” while offering some kind words about the “hardships” Min has endured, travails that were not specified in the note. Back in May, a Seoul court barred HYBE from firing Min from her role as CEO of the ADOR subsidiary after an internal audit by HYBE and subsequent police report against the exec. Min was sued by BELIFT Lab in May for defamation and obstruction of business over her comments that BELIFT’s girl group ILLIT had plagiarized NewJeans.
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On July 9, Min reportedly visited the Yongsan Police Station in Seoul for questioning after HYBE reported her to authorities citing breach of trust. Then, on July 15, the HYBE Labels subsidiary Source Music — home of K-pop girl group LE SSERAFIM — sued Min for $361,000, accusing her of defamation and disruption of business in connection with comments Min made at two emotional press conferences held in April, claiming that her statements at the events damaged Le SSERAFIM. In response, Min has accused five HYBE executives of defamation and leaking private messages to the press.
In her letter to Min, Danielle continued, “You know that we’re always on your side, right? You’re my family. Whatever you choose, I want to be together with you. I want to stay by your side, even if I’m not much help. I always pray for you, support you and love you.”
NewJeans have continued to support their executive producer during the turbulent past few months, with member Minji thanking the ADOR CEO for her contributions to the group during an appearance on South Korean chart show Music Bank. “Once again, we would like to thank our CEO, whom we love and adore a lot. We love you, CEO!” Minji said at the time.
See the note from Danielle posted on Min’s Instagram below.
Taylor Swift‘s Eras Tour juggernaut has found cities around the world twist themselves into pretzels to welcome the singer’s stadium-packing juggernaut. But when Swifties start filing into PGE Narodowy stadium on Thursday (August 1) for the singer’s show in Warsaw they might mistake the alarming sound of air raid sirens for some kind of bizarre […]
As early as 2019, the word “BABYMONSTER” percolated among K-pop circles once news surfaced of legendary label YG Entertainment filing a trademark for a new girl group name. But only five years later — as of April 1, 2024, to be precise — would the act say they’ve been revealed in their full, complete form.
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As YG prepared its follow-up female outfit to follow the chart-topping BLACKPINK, the seven members competing for a place in BABYMONSTER — Ruka, Pharita, Rami, Ahyeon, Rora, Asa and Chiquita — battled on the digital series Last Evaluation. Mentored and critiqued by YG founder and CEO Yang Hyun-suk plus future label mates like Jennie and Lisa of BLACKPINK, Kang Seung-yoon and Lee Seung-hoon of WINNER, and Lee Su-hyun of AKMU, the series spotlighted the septet’s monstrous talents through solo, unit and group performances that helped them quickly garner millions of YouTube subscribers and fans — including Charlie Puth, who would go on to gift a pop track for BABYMONSTER after catching Ahyeon’s take on his 2016 single “Dangerous” in a standout moment from the show.
“‘BABY’ describes our unlimited possibilities, youth, and that we’re bringing something new to the scene,” power vocalist Rami tells Billboard during a sitdown chat in Seoul. “And ‘MONSTER’ describes our monster-like skills.”
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BABYMONSTER began releasing music in late 2023 with the playful trap banger “Batter Up,” co-written by Asa, but the group was only recording as six while Ahyeon was absent over reported health issues. Yet the “pre-debut” buzz single still managed to score a Top 5 debut on Billboard‘s U.S.-based World Digital Song Sales chart while also peaking at No. 101 on the Billboard Global 200.
But when all-rounder Ahyeon returned for BABYMONSTER’s “official” debut on April 1 with the BABYMONS7ER album and its explosive, hip-hop/dance single “Sheesh,” the group soared to No. 33 on the Global 200 as the EP landed on the World Albums chart solely from a digital release. Not only did “Sheesh” mark a breakout moment for the group musically, but the septet also reimagined the hit into a “band version” to deliver a full-fledged, rock-star rendition of the track across several TV shows to share their whole, live experience — a stark difference from K-pop acts who will sometimes rely more heavily on backing tracks to prioritize choreography, fashion and visuals.
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Now, in their final “BABYMONS7ER” form, the girls are proving just how ready they are to share their skills and personalities with the world.
Just days after releasing the sophisticated synth-pop single “Forever” (which also scored them another Top 10 entry on World Digital Song Sales with less than a week to chart — a delightful surprise to the girls), a similar attitude is present at BABYMONSTER’s Billboard interview at the YG Entertainment offices.
Stretched around a long boardroom meeting table, the septet has a cool calmness about them as the members make faces at the table across one another or will give each other a thumbs up for her answer. The girls aren’t shy to make their thoughts known or get comfortable during the chat — the youngest member, Chiquita, even pulls out her tiny, personalized, and bedazzled aromatic bottle at one point and shares how she recommends it to help with headaches.
During one pause in the conversation, when the multilingual, Thailand-born Pharita looks tongue-tied and resigned over the message she’s asked to deliver to international fans, the 18-year-old apologizes as the group leaves the room. “Sorry about that,” she says in her sweet, soft tone. “I just wish I could say more of what I want to say.”
Indeed, BABYMONSTER seems to have a lot to say as they lead YG Entertainment into its next era and, perhaps, with the bold displays both on and off stage, will also usher in a more open and honest generation of K-pop. Get to know Billboard‘s latest K-Pop Rookie of the Month better below as BAEMON detailing their journey from pre-debut to standing as seven and previewing what’s to come next.
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Starting at the beginning, I remember hearing the name BABYMONSTER for a few years. Did you know this would be your group name before debuting?
RORA: Ever since Last Evaluation, we knew. We came into the project knowing that the group name was going to be BABYMONSTER. We really liked the name because we thought it was perfect for us; it describes us the best.
BABYMONSTER: Yeah, we all had good reactions.
Can everyone share their favorite BABYMONSTER song so far, to give us a sense of your personalities and music tastes?
RUKA: Up until now, we really showcased the side of us where it’s this really intense hip-hop side. And with “Forever,” we’re able to show our refreshing charms, so I’m really looking forward to [fans seeing] that.
RORA: Personally, I like “Stuck in the Middle (Remix).” We’ve been in the midst of a fan-meeting tour, so we were able to perform the song for our finale encore stage. It’s just really fun performing because it shows a lot of our vibrant and pop-y sides.
CHIQUITA: I like “Dream.” I like the song as well as the meaning of the song that starting from our training period. I always get emotional when I listen to “Dream.”
ASA: I really enjoy “Sheesh.” It was the first song that we released with all seven members and I really just like hearing the public and fans sing along to the song. It’s really fun performing it as well. That “sheesh” part is so catchy. It’s addictive.
RAMI: “Batter Up (Remix).” Out of our tracklist, I think that it’s one of the best songs to really jump around and interact with fans. We’ve been performing it during their fan meetings.
PHARITA: I like “Like That.” It’s good, easy to listen to, and quite unique for us. I don’t really know; I just love it. [Laughs]
AHYEON: I think the only song that hasn’t been mentioned yet is my favorite song, “MONSTERS (Intro).” That’s the song that can really show our potential and it makes the crowds hyped up. It makes me feel like, “Oh, I can do this. Let’s have a great stage today.”
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It’s been great watching the transition from pre-debut to your official debut with “Sheesh.” Before moving forward, what has been the difference between that period as six members and now?
PHARITA: Well, before, it was just six, and we were worried, thinking, “Oh, is this going to go well?” because everyone matters. And when she came back for “Sheesh,” we just had a huge blowup. Everyone loved the song and everyone got to see more sides of us — it just felt more complete.
Let’s also discuss your latest single, “Forever.” You announced it as a “pre-release” single. Is this a taste of an upcoming album?
RORA: It’s a retro synth song, but also a very hot and exciting song. So, I think it’s a fun song to listen to in the hot summer. And we’re having fun because we’re all running around together while performing on stage. I think you can tell from our facial expressions on stage that we’re having fun every time we perform. It also contrasts a lot with the performances of “Sheesh.”
ASA: It was really fun filming the music video too.
CHIQUITA: It’s actually a pre-release single moving towards our album. So, it’s kind of the start of a new chapter for us. So, you should also look forward to our new album which will be released, maybe, this fall?
RORA: It’s quite hard to say because nothing’s really set into stone yet, but BABYMONSTER will continue to work hard to make great music, showcase great performances and meet all of their fans all across the world. We just really want our fans and the public to stay tuned for our future music. But we’re really thankful about all the buzz regarding “Forever” so we’ll continue working really hard. We really want to bring a new concept for the next album.
BABYMONSTER is the latest group under a legendary label like YG Entertainment. Before joining, what was your knowledge or experience with YG or its artists? How was it getting advice from them on Last Evaluation?
ASA: As everyone knows, we really respect and look up to our sunbaenim [seniors]. So, we watch their performances and concerts a lot — especially with BLACKPINK. Before joining the label, some of us went to some of their concerts. As for 2NE1 and BIGBANG, we grew up listening to their songs, looking at their performances. And it’s because of YG’s distinct hip-hop vibe, that I think that’s part of the reason why we wanted to join the label.
RAMI: We frequently meet our seniors going about [the YG building] and, especially during Last Evaluation, we were able to get a lot of advice from BLACKPINK’s Lisa and Jennie, as well as WINNER and AKMU. They just tried to tell us what we need to look out for and how it is [as a performer].
RUKA: Chan-hyuk sunbaenim, from AKMU, said that when you’re performing onstage, you have to get used to making everything your own — “Make every stage your own.”
AHYEON: Also, when we meet senior artists in the practice rooms or in the building, they tell us that they’re rooting for us and to continue working hard.
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With the company’s long history, BABYMONSTER is also the first group to regularly release music in English, such as “Stuck in the Middle” and “Like That.” Was that always part of your plans?
RORA: So, rather than having a set specific plan, we just really wanted to showcase our music and the music’s messages so that they can resonate with a wider, global audience. That’s why we kind of are regularly releasing songs in English. The plan is to convey the meaning of the song to the fans around the world and make sure they know we want to communicate with our fans.
BABYMONSTER is also quite a diverse group with members representing Korea, Japan and Thailand. How did you find ways to connect? Does it feel like you’re representing a new generation of K-pop as a multicultural group?
RUKA: Especially during our trainee days, we were all very homesick — the members from Japan, Thailand, and even members here in Korea because they’re apart from their families. And as much as the whole process was difficult, we were really able to lean on each otherl, and find the support and motivation to work really hard.
RORA: It’s hard to say that we’re sort of “representing” the next generation, but we’re very thankful that people might think so. And not just in Korea, but we really want to reach everyone all across the world, all our global fans, and grow from the energy we receive from the fans as well.
Last evaluation seems difficult when cameras film such a personal experience. How were your experiences needing to go through the debut process and have it filmed?
RORA: So as much as it was a “survival program,” I think the most difficult part was the fact that we had to compete with our friends that we had trained with together for so long all running towards the same dream. But when it comes to the performances, I think we’re actually on the other side in that we were happy that everything was filmed and we could go back and reminisce to the times when we had to prepare for the stage and watch us performing.
Another great memory, I’m sure, was AHYEON’s cover of “Dangerously,” which got the attention of Charlie Puth, who eventually gifted you guys “Like That.” What was your reaction to that experience?
AHYEON: I was like so surprised that he commented on my video. I just [screen] captured it and I sent it to my family, like “That’s crazy. He commented on me.” [Laughs] And a few months later, our boss told us we were going to have a new demo from him and we all screamed like, “What?!? He gave us a demo?!?” When I told my family, they said, “Well, you’ve got to work hard now.”
But back to your music, ASA co-write and composed “Batter Up.” Will we get to see more contributions from you and the members?
ASA: I hope we can do a variety of things through music. Moving forward, we’re all planning to work hard when it comes to songwriting and producing music so that we can showcase a wider variety of our skills.
Do you have a message you’d like to share with international fans who are waiting to see you?
PHARITA: We haven’t had a chance to meet everyone yet that we want to so BABYMONSTER’s going to keep on making more music that we love and we just hope that fans can also love it. We’ll show our best side and I just hope that everyone will love it.
RORA: And I think the ultimate goal is to really just produce a lot of music and meet our global fans all across the world.